Optimizing Decision-Making Processes in Times of COVID-19: Using Reflexivity to Counteract Information-Processing...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Decision Science
• Crisis Management

Background:

• Policymakers' crisis decision-making effectiveness hinges on information processing.
• The COVID-19 pandemic presents complex challenges with high stakes, demanding difficult trade-offs.
• Uncertainty and time constraints increase vulnerability to errors and biases in decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how information-processing failures and biases impact crisis decision-making.
• To identify risks posed by groupthink, narrow focus, and escalation of commitment during crises.
• To propose group reflexivity as a strategy to enhance decision-making quality in uncertain times.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing research on group decision-making and crisis management.
• Analysis of information-processing failures: information search/sharing, elaboration, and updating.
• Identification of cognitive biases like groupthink and escalation of commitment in crisis contexts.

Main Results:

• Information-processing failures (e.g., failure to share, elaborate, or update information) can lead to poor policy outcomes.
• Groupthink, a narrow focus on virus containment, and escalation of commitment pose significant risks to COVID-19 crisis management.
• These biases can result in widespread societal damages if not addressed.

Conclusions:

• Improving the quality of decision-making processes is crucial for navigating ongoing crises.
• Group reflexivity, involving discussion of team goals, processes, and outcomes, can counteract biases.
• Implementing evidence-based reflexivity tools can enhance policymakers' decision-making in uncertain environments.