Egocentrism and Sociocentrism: Impact on Decision-Making
What is Egocentrism?
Egocentrism is the inability to differentiate between self and other. Moreover, it is the inability to unscramble subjective schemas from objective reality; an inability to understand or accept any perspective other than one’s own.
Defining Key Terms
- Innate Egocentrism: The assumption that what I believe is true, even though I have never questioned the basis for many of my beliefs.
- Innate Sociocentrism: The assumption that the dominant beliefs within the groups to which I belong are true, even though I have never questioned the basis for many of these beliefs.
- Innate Self-Validation: A strong desire to maintain beliefs that I have long held, even though I have not seriously considered the extent to which those beliefs are justified, given the evidence.
- Innate Selfishness: Holding fast to beliefs that justify my getting more power, money, or personal advantage, even though these beliefs are not grounded in sound reasoning or evidence.
How Can We Correct Egocentric Assumptions?
We should question whether we are acting in good faith and trying to identify our prejudices.
What is Sociocentrism?
Sociocentrism is a tendency to assume the superiority or rightness of one’s own social group.
Which Type of Egocentrism is Expressed by “It’s True Because We Want to Believe It”?
This statement expresses sociocentric thinking.
Common Psychological Standards Used in Human Thinking
- Methods domain
- Biopsychological domain
- Developmental domain
- Cognitive domain
What are the Causes of Egocentric Thinking?
Egocentric individuals often want to be right in everything they do. They may not want to ask people close to them for advice or feedback. They may exhibit selfish tendencies.
How Can You Become Aware of Your Egocentric Thinking?
Reflecting on past mistakes and recognizing when your decisions were wrong can help you become aware of egocentric thinking. It is important to learn from these mistakes.
Why is Sociocentrism the Most Dangerous Form of Egocentrism?
Sociocentrism can be dangerous because it can lead to conflict and violence between groups, based on the belief that one group is superior or that their actions are justified because others pose a threat.
What is Self-Assessment?
Self-assessment requires students to reflect on their own work and judge how well they have performed in relation to the assessment criteria.
Relationship Between Self-Assessment and Critical Thinking
Self-assessment is a critical thinking skill that students should develop to achieve their goals.
Why is Self-Assessment Necessary for Students?
Self-assessment is a core part of success. It helps students develop self-reflection and learn the qualities of good work.
Two PMU Competencies and Their Role in Self-Assessment
- Communication: The ability to communicate in both Arabic and English in professional situations.
- Technology: The ability to use modern technologies to acquire information and solve problems.
Simon’s Model of Problem-Solving
- Intelligence: Problem identification and definition. What’s the problem? Why is it a problem? Whose problem is it?
- Design: Problem structuring, generating alternatives, setting criteria and objectives, developing models and scenarios to evaluate alternatives, and solving models to evaluate alternatives.
- Choice: Determining the outcome of chosen alternatives and selecting an outcome consistent with the decision strategy.
Consequences of Making Rational Decisions
Generally, better decisions can be made if the decision-maker follows the rational decision-making model. However, a complex business environment or insufficient information can sometimes confuse decision-makers and make it difficult to evaluate or even define the problem.
Consequences of Making Irrational Decisions
We need to rethink how we make decisions and recognize which repeated decision-making processes don’t serve us well so we can learn to avoid them. As the proverb says, “Life is the sum of all your choices.” Gaining insights into irrational motives that affect our personal and work lives is a good place to start.
How Does Critical Thinking Enhance Rational Decision-Making?
Most of us are not what we could be. We are less. We have great capacity, but most of it is dormant and undeveloped. Improvement in thinking is like improvement in football. As long as we take our thinking for granted, we don’t do the work required for improvement. Development in thinking requires a gradual process involving plateaus of learning and just plain hard work.
Thinking of Our Lives as a Whole and as a Complex of Parts
It means we must be able to think inside and outside our world, using the latter to critique the former. We have to think before doing anything, as this will help us achieve good results. Indeed, in all parts of our daily lives, the most important part is thinking and realizing what is good for you.
Rational Decisions: Maximization and Critical Thinking’s Role
Rational decisions maximize the quality of one’s life without violating the rights or harming the well-being of others. Rational decisions maximize our chances of happiness, successful living, and fulfillment.
What is Irrational Behavior?
Irrational behavior is one that does not take into consideration reason, logic, or even common sense. Examples include fighting, starting wars, and killing.
Two Self-Destructive Behaviors
Smoking is self-destructive because a person is poisoning their body. Driving at excessive speeds unnecessarily and causing a fatal accident is also self-destructive.
What is Successful Egocentrism?
Successful egocentrism is getting what a person wants without consideration of others’ rights, regardless of any ethics. When their wants are ethical, they use ethics to justify their desires.
Unsuccessful Egocentrism: Definition and Examples
When egocentric thought is unsuccessful, it creates problems not only for those influenced by the thinker but also for the thinker. Examples include not recognizing one’s self-serving perspective and believing in inaccurate intuitive perceptions.
Characteristics of an Egocentric Mind
- Seeks self-validation
- Can be inflexible
- Is selfish
- Makes global, sweeping positive or negative generalizations
- Distorts information and ignores significant information
- Reacts with negative, counterproductive emotions when desires are not met
Egocentrism as a Mind Within the Mind
Egocentric thinking functions subconsciously, like a mind within us that we deny we have. No one recognizes or admits to thinking egocentrically.
Causes and Solutions for Egocentric Behavior
Egocentrism can be caused by factors like sociocentrism inherited from society or a group, or by low self-esteem and the belief that one is always right. The solution is critical thinking and evaluating behavior according to ethics.
Procedure in the Logic of Effective Decision-Making
Figure out and regularly re-articulate your most fundamental goals. Take problems and decisions one by one. Study the circumstances surrounding alternative decisions to make clear the kind of decision you’re dealing with.
Two Patterns of Irrational or Unethical Decision-Making
- Deciding to behave in ways that undermine our welfare.
- Deciding to behave in ways that undermine the welfare of others.
Why Do People Make Self-Defeating Decisions?
They are often looking for immediate gratification and short-term gain.
Four Keys to Sound Decision-Making
- Recognize that you face an important decision.
- Accurately identify the alternatives.
- Logically evaluate the alternatives.
- Have the self-discipline to act on the best alternative.
Why Should Decision-Making Begin with Analysis of the Subconscious?
In most of us, our beliefs simply feel like “the Truth.” They appear to the mind as truth. The normal human mind is egocentric.
Midterm 1
Why Do People Make Self-Defeating Decisions?
They are looking for immediate gratification and short-term gain.
What is Egocentrism?
Egocentrism is the inability to differentiate between self and other. Moreover, it is the inability to unscramble subjective schemas from objective reality; an inability to understand or accept any perspective other than one’s own.
Causes and Solutions for Egocentric Behavior
Egocentrism is caused by many factors, like sociocentrism inherited from society or a group, or due to low self-esteem and thinking that one is always right. The solution for egocentric behavior is critical thinking and evaluating behavior according to ethics.
Defining Key Terms
Innate Sociocentrism: The assumption that the dominant beliefs within the groups to which I belong are true, even though I have never questioned the basis for many of these beliefs.
Innate Selfishness: Holding fast to beliefs that justify my getting more power, money, or personal advantage, even though these beliefs are not grounded in sound reasoning or evidence.
Midterm 2
What is Egocentrism?
Egocentrism is the inability to differentiate between self and other. Moreover, it is the inability to unscramble subjective schemas from objective reality; an inability to understand or accept any perspective other than one’s own.
What is Irrational Behavior?
Irrational behavior is one that does not take into consideration reason, logic, or even common sense. Examples include fighting, starting wars, and killing.
Successful and Unsuccessful Egocentrism
Successful Egocentrism: Getting what a person wants without consideration of others’ rights, regardless of any ethics. When their wants are ethical, they use ethics to justify their desires.
Unsuccessful Egocentrism: When egocentric thought is unsuccessful, it creates problems not only for those influenced by the thinker but also for the thinker. For example, they do not naturally recognize their self-serving perspective.
Defining Key Terms
Innate Self-Validation: A strong desire to maintain beliefs that I have long held, even though I have not seriously considered the extent to which those beliefs are justified, given the evidence.
Innate Selfishness: Holding fast to beliefs that justify my getting more power, money, or personal advantage, even though these beliefs are not grounded in sound reasoning or evidence.