Assignment(Maximizing Expected Utility and Decision Trees) Maximizing Expected Utility and Decision Trees

As explained in this week’s resources, maximization of expected utility involves the following five steps of decision making:

1-Identifying future conditions, along with the likelihood of the condition being realized

2-Listing possible alternatives

3-Estimating the payoff or utility for each alternative under each future condition

4-Calculating the expected utility

5-Selecting the best alternative

Decision trees can be used to illustrate all of this information in a graphic manner.

In this Assignment, apply the information from this week’s resources to solve decision problems and complete a Decision Analysis for those problems. Solve problems 5, 10, and 11 on pp. 231–234 of the Stevenson text by creating decision trees, determining expected utilities of the decision alternatives, and offering recommended decisions based on the decision tree analysis.

Approximate length: 4–5 pages

Submit your Decision Analysis for the assigned problems

Hastie, R., & Dawes, R. M. (2010). Rational choice in an uncertain world (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Chapter 2, "What Is Decision Making?" (pp. 23–43)

Hastie, R., & Dawes, R. M. (2010). Rational choice in an uncertain world (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Chapter 11.1, “Formally Defining Rationality” (pp. 237–241)

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