CONSOLIDATION PROCESSES IN DECISION-MAKING - POST-DECISION CHANGES IN ATTRACTIVENESS OF ALTERNATIVES

The Differentiation and Consolidation Theory of decision making models decision making as performed through a set of differentiation processes, leading to a decision and followed by post-decision consolidation processes. The last of these play a role in subsequent decisions. This paper illustrates one of several consolidation processes, namely that of reevaluation in the post-decision phase. Subjects were asked to make a non-consequential decision between two objects central to their own interests and characterized on different value attributes. After five minutes or one week the subjects were asked to describe the alternatives again. The results demonstrated reevaluation, and showed that the process needed a week to reach significance. The reevaluation process was highly selective in that it affected only aspects of the most important attributes. The reevaluation process increased differentiation in support of the chosen alternative on attributes on which it was already superior, and did not support the chosen alternative on attributes where it was inferior to the non-chosen alternative.