decidem

Decidem is a term used in decision theory and cognitive science to refer to a discrete cognitive event—the moment at which a decision is committed by a decision-maker amid a stream of information and deliberation. It functions as a conceptual marker distinguishing the weighing of options from the act of choosing.

The term is a neologism rather than a widely adopted technical label. It appears in scholarly discussions since the 2010s to separate the process of weighing options from the act of choosing. It is sometimes described in contrast to deliberation or consideration, emphasizing a threshold crossing or commitment.

Conceptually, decidem is associated with sequential sampling models of decision making, where evidence accumulates toward a boundary, and the decidem occurs when the boundary is crossed. This framing supports quantitative modeling of reaction times and choices. The exact interpretation varies by domain: in psychology, it may mark internal commitment; in AI, it can denote a decision policy activation.

Applications include experimental psychology, behavioral economics, human-computer interaction, and AI planning. Researchers use the notion to analyze how information presentation, cognitive load, or incentives influence when decisions are made.

Criticism notes that decidem can blur distinctions between intention, uncertainty, and action, and that empirical operationalization is challenging because the exact moment of commitment may not be observable.

See also decision making, decision threshold, drift-diffusion model, evidence accumulation.