A viewpoint: common sense and belief formation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the relation between beliefs and action in common sense judgment. The basic aim of the paper is to define and present a rational model of commonsense choice for the individual based on situation, belief, and personal resources. Second, the paper hypothesizes skills needed to make “good” commonsense choices. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a speculative essay. It draws from psychology, economics and game theory as a basis for its findings. Findings – A schema useful for the modeling of commonsense judgment is developed. Factors that are the basis for belief formation or belief changes are analyzed within the context of the schema. Skills needed for good judgment are proposed. Research implications – The model lays a basis for conceptual and empirical study on judgments made by individuals as defined by their situation, beliefs, and resources. Practical implications – The model has promise for analyzing individual and group decisions in a variety of social and organizational settings. Originality/value – This paper posits a construct of common sense useful as an operant in modeling and explaining individual judgments.