Understanding Human Decision Making
The Center facilitates research and understanding on consumer behavior, the implications of decision making on public policy, and the neurological underpinnings of judgment and decision making. The Center provides assistance of various sorts to researchers, including advice on research design, data acquisition, and data analysis. The interests of the CDS core organizers have grown and continue to grow over time. Much like a puzzle, the interests come together to build a bigger picture.
Our Mission
The Center for the Decision Sciences (CDS) serves as a resource to encourage dialogue and collaboration among researchers in multiple divisions and disciplines at Columbia Business School and to facilitate dialogue with and research transfer to industry experts and public policy makers. Our goal is to generate and facilitate interdisciplinary basic research that is relevant to the needs of real world decision makers.
Our History
Decision science lies at the intersection of several social and behavioral science disciplines, drawing on theory and methods from economics, psychology, political science and management, among other fields. Theory and research in the decision sciences has followed two paths: The first is normative or prescriptive, focused on specifying criteria for evaluating decisions and providing algorithms for achieving optimal outcomes; the second is descriptive, focusing on how people actually make decisions.
Our Education
Decision science lies at the intersection of several social and behavioral science disciplines, drawing on theory and methods from economics, psychology, political science and management, among other fields. Theory and research in the decision sciences has followed two paths: The first is normative or prescriptive, focused on specifying criteria for evaluating decisions and providing algorithms for achieving optimal outcomes; the second is descriptive, focusing on how people actually make decisions.
Featured News and News Coverage
Climate Choices
The Sustainability And Behavior Laboratory is using effective strategies to tilt consumers toward pro-climate decisions.
Dark Defaults
New research from CBS finds that "Dark Default" pre-checked boxes are behind more than $40 million in campaign donations.
Dark Defaults in NPR
NPR podcast episode Planet Money features Dark Defaults on the unintended political donations secured with pre-checked boxes.
The Elements of Choice
Learn more about CDS Director Eric J. Johnson's latest book, The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters.
Featured Research
Carbon Ignorance
Widespread misestimates of greenhouse gas emissions suggest low carbon competence
Johnson, E.J., Sugerman, E.R., Morwitz, V.G. et al. Widespread misestimates of greenhouse gas emissions suggest low carbon competence. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2024).
Exposing Omitted Moderators
Exposing omitted moderators: Explaining why effect sizes differ in the social sciences
Krefeld-Schwalb, A., Sugerman, E. R., & Johnson, E. J. (2024). Exposing omitted moderators: Explaining why effect sizes differ in the social sciences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(12).
Dark Defaults
Dark defaults: How choice architecture steers political campaign donations
Posner, N., Simonov, A., Mrkva, K., & Johnson, E. J. (2023). Dark defaults: How choice architecture steers political campaign donations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(40).