self-determinant theory

- expounds on the concept of environment as a determinant of the nature of motivation, it suggests that
for intrinsic motivation to be stimulated, the environment should feature autonomy, competence and
relatedness, and fulfillments considered essential towards human needs (Ryan, 2009).

learning theory of dual coding

– information that is presented visually or verbally is remembered better than information that is
presented only in one way (Slavin, 2011).

Vygotsky social constructivist theory

- students should be given complex, difficult, and realistic tasks and then given sufficient help to solve
these tasks (Slavin, 2011)

Random utility theory

- the framework that underlies most discrete choice experiments and assumes that a person's relative
preference for item A over item B is revealed in how often they choose item A over item B (Thurstone,
1927). It assumes an underlying subjective scale behind people's choices, and the utility for each item is
a measure of the item's location on that scale (Louviere et al., 2013). We can express the utility of item i
as Ui = Vi + εi. Here, the utility for item i (Ui) is made up of the explainable, systematic component Vi and
the stochastic, unexplainable component εi.

- people generally choose what they prefer, and where they do not, this can be explained by random
factors. For example, a person may choose their preferred ice cream 9 out of 10 times and on the 10th
occasion they choose something else due to some random factor.

Melzack and Wall's gate control theory of pain

– This theory proposes that electrical stimulation of the large, afferent, high velocity fibres prevents the
smaller, slow velocity pain-carrying A delta and C fibres from transmitting pain signals to the higher brain
centres. Thus the high frequency low intensity TENS current – blocks the transmission of nociceptive
stimuli to the spinal cord (Melzack and Wall 1965).

Queuing theory (or queueing theory)

- refers to the mathematical study of the formation, function, and congestion of waiting lines, or queues.
At its core, a queuing situation involves two parts. Someone or something that requests a service—
usually referred to as the customer, job, or request.

Choice theory

- the study of how decisions get made. The term was coined in a book of the same name by William
Glasser, who argued that all choices are made to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging,
power, freedom, and fun.

probabilistic choice theory

- rather than assuming there is a deterministic process that can be used to establish the choice outcome,
it is recognized that the best that can be done is to determine the probability of different choice
outcomes given a particular choice situation and decision-maker.

Rational choice theory

- individual actors choose whichever option will maximize their interests and provide them with the
greatest utility, or benefit.

- individuals rely on rational calculations to make rational choices that result in outcomes aligned with
their own best interests.

- often associated with the concepts of rational actors, the rationality assumption, self-interest, and the
invisible hand.

Path–goal theory

- also known as the path–goal theory of leader effectiveness or the path–goal model, is a leadership
theory developed by Robert House, an Ohio State University graduate, in 1971 and revised in 1996.

- a theory based on specifying a leader's style or behavior that best fits the employee and work
environment in order to achieve a goal. The goal is to increase an employee's motivation,
empowerment, and satisfaction so they become a productive member of the organization.

simplicity principle

- traditionally referred to as Occam's razor, is the idea that simpler explanations of observations should
be preferred to more complex ones.

Simplicity Theory (ST)

- a cognitive theory based on the following observation: human individuals are highly sensitive to any
discrepancy in complexity. Their interest is aroused by any situation which appears "too simple" to
them.

- This rule states that people have a bias toward simplicity and are predisposed to choose products and
experiences that minimize their cognitive load.

Revealed preference theory

- in economics, a theory, introduced by the American economist Paul Samuelson in 1938, that holds that
consumers’ preferences can be revealed by what they purchase under different circumstances,
particularly under different income and price circumstances.

- The theory entails that if a consumer purchases a specific bundle of goods, then that bundle is
“revealed preferred,” given constant income and prices, to any other bundle that the consumer could
afford. By varying income or prices or both, an observer can infer a representative model of the
consumer’s preferences.

Utility theory
- bases its beliefs upon individuals’ preferences. It is a theory postulated in economics to explain
behavior of individuals based on the premise people can consistently rank order their choices depending
upon their preferences.

- a positive theory that seeks to explain the individuals’ observed behavior and choices.

- This contrasts with a normative theory, one that dictates that people should behave in the manner
prescribed by it. Instead, it is only since the theory itself is positive, after observing the choices that
individuals make, we can draw inferences about their preferences.

Normative Theory

- Normative theories define “good” decisions as ones that are most likely to provide the decision maker
with desired outcomes (Edwards, 1954; Yates, 1990).

From: Aging and Decision Making, 2015