Decision-making
What makes a good decision?
 A decision is a choice you make and act upon
 A good decision has been carefully considered all possible outcomes of each
choice
 You are willing to take personal responsibility for the consequences of the
decision
o You have to understand and accept how decision affect not only yourself
but others
 A good decision is a responsible decision
What are values?
 Values are beliefs that you consider to be of great importance
 Many you are taught and others you will develop over time based on life’s
experiences
 Good values include:
o Respect for yourself and others
o Responsibility
o Honesty
o Trustworthiness
 Good values lead to developing good character
o Character is the way people think, feel, and act
Good values and good character lead to making good decisions
Six pillars of character:
1. Trustworthiness
2. Respect
3. Responsibility
4. Fairness
5. Caring
6. Citizenship
Before you make any decisions you must first identify what the problem is; if not
identified correctly a poor or wrong decision may be made
 Identifying the issue is an important first step in the decision-making process
ABC’s of decision-making
 A- Assess
o Identify the issue
 B- Brainstorm
o What are the options?
 C- Consider
o Weigh the consequences of each option
o What are your values?
 D- Decide

o Choose and act upon your choice
E- Evaluate
o Was it a good choice?
o Was it an effective one?
o If not will you use the process again to make a new decision?
What influences your decisions and what you do?
1. Family influence
a. Influence is a force that affects your choices when you have a decision to
make.
b. Family has the greatest influence on you, especially early in life
i. Values, standards, and expectations
2. Peers
a. An important influence especially during the teen years
b. Peer pressure: pressure you feel to do something because your friends
want you to do it, or everyone else is doing it
i. Positive peer pressure: influences you to do something that
benefits you.
1. Studying with a group that wants to do well on a test may
make you study harder
ii. Negative peer pressure is pressure to do something that may harm
you or others
1. Being mean to someone because a friend is mean to them
c. Peer pressure has profound effects on you that you may not realize
i. Profound- very great or intense
ii. A large part of your day is spent with peers
1. Who influences clothes you wear; music; drugs?
iii. There is a strong need to fit in but don’t let that need lead you to
make poor choices
3. Media and advertising
a. An advertisers job is to sell you something and make money for their
client
b. Their claims are usually misleading and/or exaggerated
c. Advertising techniques
i. Sex appeal, celebrity appeal, band wagon, humor, snob appeal,
plain folks etc.
d. Media can also have a positive effect on your life
i. Reporting new ideas or tings to improve life
ii. You have to be able to recognize what messages are true
Evaluate the influences
 How do you know who to listen to and trust?
o Rule of thumb is to trust the people who know and care about you
o Remember your values
o Be careful about listening to people you do not know very well
 What are their motives?
 Do they have your best interest in mind?

You can always look into things or people; rely on those you trust