In our latest podcast Professor Laurence Alison, Director of the University’s Centre for Critical and Major Incident Psychology, discusses the psychological process that can occur during crises that freezes decision making.
Decision inertia happens when a decision maker struggles to commit to a choice, when all options could yield negative consequences.
On 3 July 2018, rescuers safely extracted the last of 12 boys and their football coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Thailand. The rescue mission was complex, dangerous and had to be devised and executed quickly. For Professor Laurence Alison, this makes the rescue a fascinating case study in overcoming decision inertia.
During the podcast Professor Alison contrasts the Thai cave rescue with the Grenfell Tower fire disaster and discusses how emergency responders, and by extension, all high-stakes decision makers, can overcome the paralysing effects of decision inertia.
To find out more you can listen to the podcast by following the links below:
About the podcast
Our podcasts are produced in collaboration with the University of Liverpool online programmes team, hosted by Canadian journalist and producer Neil Morrison, we aim to bring listeners closer to some of our academic experts, authors and innovative thinkers who are affecting positive change in the world today.
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If you would like to contact our podcast with feedback or suggestions for future recordings please e-mail news@liverpool.ac.uk