When it comes to making good decisions, the fact is that facts are often just one small piece of the puzzle.

1. A Psychology of Decisions
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra

2. What is a Decision?
In this discussion, a Decision is a conclusive assertion, of a state that requires appropriate
subsequent activity.
Without the aspect of required subsequent propriety, there is no practical meaning to the
idea of a Decision.
A decision is made at a point where the future propriety is an option or alternative. Because
of that, a decision always addresses what is “current” versus what “can be”. This means that
a decision always contrasts at least two potential states: change, or don’t change.
Additionally, there may be multiple future options or alternatives involved.
The following illustrations and notes are based on the combination of my personal experience in teaching,
coaching, art and management. There is no prior work by other parties necessary to reference as a precedent,
regardless of any similarities that may surface. There is no reliance on technical or specialist terminologies.
Similarities to other work should be noted as a type of evidence that the illustrated general relations and elements
are re-discoverable by any party willing to do the same type and extent of analyses and syntheses of their own
corresponding experience. Nonetheless, this published discussion and all of its content as published is fully
copyrighted.

3. The Mental Landscape of Decisions
The following discussion proposes that there are four basic classes of decisions:
• Directives
• Proofs
• Positions
• Agreements
Each class of decision can be pursued without regard to the other three. However, several different
classes of decisions may occur simultaneously; multiple concurrent decisions may or may not be
mutually aligned.
Each respective class has a characteristic target that is addressed. The target is acknowledged as an
unambiguous and authoritative point of reference. The target guides the acknowledgement of when
the considerations of options or alternatives can be concluded. Said differently, these targets are types
of conclusions expressed by decisions.
• A Need (Directive)
• A Finding (Proof)
• An Identification (Position)
• A Consensus (Agreement)

4. The Mental Landscape of Decisions (cont’d.)
Each respective class of decision has two distinguishing factors that support the target of the class.
• Benefit and Risk: a Need (Directive)
• Fact and Belief: a Finding (Proof)
• Values and Validation: an Identification (Position)
• Opinions and Preference: a Consensus (Agreement)
Factors are variables that influence the strength and specificity of the target (conclusion) in the
decision. Factors are independent; therefore, from one case to the next they may or may not conflict
with each other, and they may or may not have equal impact within the class of decision.
Each respective class of decision can affect at least one other class through a relationship of their
respective factors. In this affect, the general relationship is that if a factor in one class changes, it
influences a possible change in a factor of a different class. Certain factors across certain classes are
observed to be regularly more sensitive to each other.
To illustrate that correspondence across classes, this discussion’s map uses simplification and symmetry
aimed at highlighting the more probable relations occurring from the characteristic differences
between classes.

5. Four Basic Types of Decisions
Agreement
Opinions
A Consensus
Preference
Facts
Benefits
Proof
Directive
A Finding
A Need
Beliefs
Values
Position
Validation
Risks
An Identification
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

6. Decision-makers come to work on decision-making from a variety of interests. An interest represents a
mentality that characterizes what kind of “stake” is held in the decision, and therefore it characterizes
different kinds of stakeholders. There are four primary types of interest:
• Goal
• Confidence
• Trust
• Choice
Stakeholders…
The immediate affect of interests on decisions is that the interest drives the selection of what kind
(class) of decision should be used.
Interests are independent; therefore, from one case to the next they may or may not conflict with each
other, and they may or may not have equal impact within the class of decision. Interests also relate to
each other through their characteristic involvement as factors in a type of rationale of the decision. Said
differently, a rationale is a reason why the stakeholders find value in the decision. There are four basic
types of rationale; each type characteristically include two of the interests and because of that there is
an affinity of interests associated with the rationale of the decision.
• Sensible: Choice and Goal
• Compelling: Goal and Confidence
• Compliant: Confidence and Trust
• Persuasive: Trust and Choice
“One size does not fit all.”

7. A rationale is a reason why the stakeholders find value in the decision. There is an affinity of interests
associated with the rationale of the decision.
• Sensible: Choice and Goal
• Compelling: Goal and Confidence
• Compliant: Confidence and Trust
• Persuasive: Trust and Choice
Each rationale corresponds to a predisposition that is addressed by the decision-making. There are four
basic predispositions;
• Perspective
• Advantage
• Certainty
• Acceptance
Getting to “yes”… ?
During decision-making, a predisposition finds more or less support, and its presence may therefore
have an encouraging or inhibiting affect on conclusiveness. Predispositions strongly associate the same
interests that are associated with rationales, so they reflect the counterpoint to the rationales that
stakeholders respect. Often, decisions represent either mitigating or leveraging the predisposition.
• Perspective: Choice and Goal (Sensible)
• Advantage: Goal and Confidence (Compelling)
• Certainty: Confidence and Trust (Compliant)
• Acceptance: Trust and Choice (Persuasive)

8. GOAL
Sensible is
from this
POV
Perspective
Advantage
Predispositions, interests, and rationales
interests
rationales
surround the activity that works on the
classes and factors of decisions. On the map,
rationales are virtually points of view; and,
we see that predispositions associate
interests, which creates affinities of
stakeholders.
CHOICE
Persuasive
is from this
POV
Compelling
is from this
POV
Acceptance
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research
CONFIDENCE
Certainty
TRUST
Compliant
is from this
POV

9. GOAL
Sensible is
from this
POV
Perspective
Agreement
Compelling
is from this
POV
Advantage
A Consensus
CHOICE
Proof
Directive
A Finding
CONFIDENCE
A Need
Position
An Identification
Persuasive
is from this
POV
Acceptance
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research
Certainty
TRUST
Compliant
is from this
POV

10. GOAL
Sensible is
from this
POV
Perspective
Compelling
is from this
POV
Advantage
Agreement
Opinions
A Consensus
Preference
Facts
CHOICE
Benefits
Proof
Directive
A Finding
CONFIDENCE
A Need
Beliefs
Values
Position
Validation
Risks
An Identification
Persuasive
is from this
POV
Acceptance
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research
Certainty
TRUST
Compliant
is from this
POV

11. The Decision Map
On the map, different kinds of
decisions are appropriate to
different predispositions.
A stakeholder may need to see
multiple kinds of decisions made
in order to adequately cover
factors related to the
stakeholder’s interests.
On the map, we can see a logical
affinity between interests and
decision factors. For example,
facts and opinions combine in the
support of perspective, which
argues a “sensible” rationale;
while preference and benefits
combine in the support of
advantage, arguing a “compelling”
rationale.
Typically, the rationale(s) for a decision are used as justification for supporting
the decision’s role as an authorization for appropriate subsequent activity.
© 2013 Malcolm Ryder / archestra research

12. The Psychology of Decisions, Seen
A decision-maker may or may not be consciously addressing of all the factors that are weighing on
the kind and conclusiveness of decisions.
This can be the case both when one party amongst several doesn’t have “full” visibility because of
roles restrictions, and when one solo party must fill multiple roles but has not identified the
related issues characteristic of each role and therefore is not aware of them.
The psychology of the decision-making involves mentalities (such as predispositions, interests, and
targets) that are present in variable strengths and that can change independently or in tandem
during the course of decision-making.
As proposed by the Decision Map in this discussion, a supervisory view of the progress towards
conclusiveness can be consistently applied, both to identify current relative emphasis in key areas
and to strategize significant coverage of variables in the decision-making. In the map, things are
related by proximity and links; relations represent influence, and influence must be assessed and
addressed accordingly. Using the map to choose items of attention, it is possible to derive
decision-making models for different circumstances and occasions. Such models can remain ad
hoc or become standardized.