The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...

Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in human cognition.Types of...

Attitude is our evaluation of a person, an idea, or an object. We have attitudes for many things ranging from products that we might pick up in the supermarket to people around the world to political policies. Typically, attitudes are favorable or unfavorable: positive or negative (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). And, they have three components: an affective component (feelings), a behavioral component (the effect of the attitude on behavior), and a cognitive component (belief and knowledge;...

In structural engineering, the equilibrium of a system is not only determined by its equations of equilibrium but also with the help of constraints. Constraints refer to restrictions on the motion of a system. The proper combinations of constraints can minimize the total number of constraints needed to maintain a system in mechanical equilibrium. When this happens, the system is said to be statically determinate. For such systems, the unknown reaction supports can be estimated using equilibrium...

The Intermediate Value Theorem is a foundational result in calculus that guarantees the existence of solutions within certain intervals for continuous functions. Formally, the Intermediate Value Theorem states that if a function f is continuous on the closed interval [a, b], and if N is any value between f(a) and f(b), then there exists at least one c ∈ (a, b) such that f(c) = N. This theorem is instrumental in proving the existence of roots and in analyzing the behavior of continuous functions...

The Net Change Theorem is a fundamental principle in calculus that establishes a direct relationship between a function’s rate of change and its accumulated change over an interval. Mathematically, it states that the definite integral of a function's derivative over a given interval [a,b] yields the net change in the original function:This theorem has significant applications in various real-world scenarios, including physics, economics, and engineering. A particularly useful application is in...