Option Generation Under Stress

Option generation is often a crucial part of decision making in many circumstances. With good options, good decisions are easier to reach. Stress is also an inescapable aspect of life. Research on how option generation is influenced by stress is limited. Previous research has investigated how choices are evaluated and selected from a given pool of options. However, less is known about the decision-making process when options must be generated by the decision maker; especially under stress. This thesis attempts to map the boundary conditions of an individual’s option generation ability and strategy selection. Six experiments were conducted, in which the complexity of the task and situation were manipulated. More options tended to be generated in the chess problems and AUT, whilst fewer were generated in the TSPs. This suggests that problem complexity can activate different option generation and decision-making strategies. Regardless of task complexity or type of stressor, participants favoured a ‘more is better’ approach where more options lead to better quality decisions. Confidence levels in options seemed to be a factor that influenced whether more options were generated. Where there were lower levels of confidence in initial options, participants continued to generate more options and tended to select a final option of a higher quality than the original. The two stressors influenced the option generation process in different ways. Under time pressure, participants who were not able to adjust to the time limit were unable to shift from their previous options and generated more duplicate ideas. Under socio-evaluative stress, participants felt more challenged, helping them to recognise and select the most appropriate options. The research reported in this thesis demonstrated that moderate levels of stress can affect option generation performance in a range of tasks and settings, including online. It also highlights the importance of understanding the role confidence plays in searching for better options.