An Experimental Test of the Poliheuristic Theory of Foreign Policy Decision making using Military Leaders.
Abstract
This is a study in foreign policy decision making which assesses the impact of dynamic choice sets (where new alternatives appear during the decision process), on strategy selection and choice in international politics. The hypotheses tested involve how leaders change their decision making strategies during a foreign policy crisis depending on the limitations of time, information, and task complexity. In order to test these hypotheses, a computer-based decision board platform was introduced to several groups of subjects including: (a) top ranking officers in the United States Air Force, (b) cadets from Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, and (c) undergraduate students from Texas A&M University. This study contributes to previous studies using the decision board platform (Mintz and Geva 1994; Mintz, Geva, and Redd 1994) in two ways. Unlike the other studies, subjects with various levels of experience in decision making participated in the experiment. Second, the inclusion of subjects, other than students, further increases the reliability of the Foreign Policy Decision Board as an experimental tool. The studies with the undergraduate students were previously reported in Mintz, Geva and Redd 1994.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 10, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA299857
Entities
People
- Amy E. Carnes
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology