🧠 Why Do We Make the Choices We Do ?

Introduction

Teacher: Nagham al Halabi

Grade 12- High school 

Principles of Psychology | Queen's University Arts and Science Online

Every single day, we make hundreds of decisions about what to eat, what to wear, who to talk to, and even whether to do our homework now or later. But have you ever stopped to think about why you make the choices you do? Is it really you deciding, or is something influencing you without you even realizing it?

In this WebQuest, you’ll dive into the psychology of decision-making and discover how things like cognitive biases, emotions, and mental shortcuts shape the way we think.

By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how your brain works, plus you’ll get to run a fun experiment and create something cool to share with the class. Let’s get started! 

Task

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By the end of this WebQuest, you’ll be able to:

  • Understand how our brains make decisions.
  • Identify common cognitive biases (like why we sometimes make irrational choices).
  • Run a quick experiment with friends or family to see decision-making in action.
  • Create a simple project to explain what you’ve learned.
Process

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Step 1: Watch & Take Notes

  • Watch this short video: “The Framing Effect: How Our Decisions Are Influenced”

  • After watching, write down three interesting things you learned.

Step 2: Explore Cognitive Biases

  • Read this article: “What Is Cognitive Bias? 7 Examples & Resources”

  • Take notes on two biases that surprised you and think of a time when they might have affected one of your own decisions.

Step 3: The Fun Experiment

⇒Ask 3-5 friends or family members the following questions:

  • “Would you rather get $50 right now or wait one month and get $100?”
  • Record their answers and ask why they made that choice.
  • Look at the patterns—do people prefer instant rewards, or are they willing to wait?
  • What does this say about human decision-making?

Step 4: Get Creative!

⇒Choose one way to present what you’ve learned:

►Make a poster showing how cognitive biases influence decisions.

► Record a short video (1-2 min) explaining your experiment and results.

► Act out a fun skit where someone makes a biased decision.

Step 5: Submit Your Work

Upload your project to the designated platform or present it in class.6,300+ Psychological Testing Stock Illustrations, Royalty-Free Vector Graphics & Clip Art - iStock | Psychological testing of drivers

 

Evaluation

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your work will be graded according to this criteria: 

Criteria

Excellent (5 pts)

Good (4 pts)

Fair (3 pts)

Needs Improvement (2 pts or less)

Understanding

You clearly understand decision-making and cognitive biases, with great examples.

You get the main idea but could go deeper or add more details.

You understand some of it, but it's a little unclear or missing examples.

You seem confused or didn’t explain the concepts well.

Experiment & Analysis

You did the experiment properly, analyzed the results well, and shared interesting insights.

You did the experiment and gave some analysis, but it could be stronger.

You did the experiment but didn’t really explain the results.

Your experiment is missing or doesn’t really show any analysis.

Creativity

Your project (poster, video, or skit) is fun, engaging, and unique!

You put in a good effort, but it could be a little more creative.

It’s okay, but it’s missing something to make it stand out.

It looks rushed or incomplete, with little creativity.

Effort & Participation

You were fully engaged and put a lot of effort into your work.

You did well, but there are a few parts that feel rushed.

You participated but didn’t put in much effort.

You barely participated, and your work is incomplete.
Conclusion

You did it!! Pin page

Now that you know more about how decisions work, you’ll start noticing all the little ways your brain takes shortcuts without you even realizing it. Maybe you’ll think twice before making an impulse buy, or you’ll start to see why your friends make certain choices. The next time you’re faced with a decision, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Am I really making this choice, or is my brain just running on autopilot?

Credits