If you're like me, you've probably wondered why people sometimes struggle with decisions as individuals or in groups. Group dynamics are very interesting to me and individual behavior that seems to be fueled by fear or embracing life/opportunity is equally intriguing. Unfortunately, you will see in some groups that people will move in the direction of a fear-based life. That said, this is a short list of behavioral terms that psychologists/scientists use to describe what happens to people when they make decisions. It's part of the research I did. When you're having a bad day because someone did something that didn't make sense or "the group" is acting strangely, maybe one of these terms will give you some short-term comfort. Humans seem to do the same things over and over again, just by giving them different names. Adaptation heuristic – When people tend to rely on specific information or one value and may focus so much on that that they ignore other valuable information. For example, an individual may want to purchase a business application and focus so much on the initial price that they ignore its performance or return on investment. Availability heuristic: People predict the probability of an event based on how easily an example comes to mind rather than the actual statistical probability. For example, if a friend of mine buys a specific car and I hear his harrowing story about how the gas line broke, I ignore all other data and his story becomes my representative of the whole rather than of a single case . In short, the buyer is ignoring data that might indicate this particular car is the safest on the road from a statistical standpoint. Limited Awareness – When people fail to… middle of paper… they are disarmed . Whether they know it or not, they are constantly battling some aspect of these issues. Marketing must remain an active participant in helping sellers assist the buyer on the path to a better decision. The supplier must understand these influences on the buyer's decision-making process. Some psychological and social influences can short-circuit suppliers' best efforts to help buyers. By anticipating them, the supplier can create the appropriate response to keep the buyer on the right track. Because there seems to be too much information in the world, humans have devised shortcuts to speed up decision making. The supplier's job is to help the buyer use their critical thinking skills when they are tempted to act too quickly. The supplier must also address the emotional side of the buyer to alleviate his doubts about trust.