Subjectivity in decision making: Common problems and limitations

Abstract

Subjectivity is an inescapable part of the diagnostic and decision making process. Limitations on memory are compensated for by invoking "diagnoses" as devices for managing information during diagnosis. Thus, large amounts of information can be stored as confirmations and departures from the diagnostic hypotheses. Well-documented limitations in probabilistic reasoning interfere with diagnosis and patient management. Uncommon diagnoses may be invoked inappropriately. Misconceptions of chance may lead to erroneous conclusions about health care. Most perplexing is that physicians attempting to incorporate patient preference in decision making are confronted with problems of subjective inconsistencies in patient valuation of outcomes of health care. The major problems of quantification and analysis are amenable to management through education, computing, and better patient data management. Problems of utility elicitation will require further research.

Los cirujanos sobreestiman el riesgo de malignidad de los nódulos tiroideos, evaluación de los estimados subjetivos usando un análisis bayesiano

“…We believe that decision makers make decisions based on subjective beliefs that do not necessarily correspond to the objective measures of the effect (34,35). This study demonstrated the important role that subjective probabilities play in a surgeon's analysis of thyroid nodules.…”

Addressing strategic environmental assessment in Mexico's transition towards renewable energy : geospatial approach of collective intelligence as prospective support in the planning process

“…Nowadays, the only way to accomplish the above is through retrospective modelling, which is the most widely used in classical science. Nevertheless, it is known that scenario building is possible based on intersubjective knowledge of individuals, which is applied especially in social sciences (among which are Prospective, Forecasting and Foresight activities), recognising above all, the cognitive perspective and the incidence of subjectivity in decision-making (Jelokhani-Niaraki & Malczewski, 2012; Khatri & Ng, 2000;Leung & Andersson, 2013;Ravitch, 1989;Schoemaker, 1995;Schwenk, 1988), stressing that on those issues related also to the recent Geoprospective and Territorial Intelligence, the Geospatial System of Collective Intelligence can be a useful tool that leads to thought-provoking contributions.…”