Cognitive Biases and Heuristics in Decision-Making Processes Affecting Budget and Perceptions in Special Education Committees and the Potential Contribution of Expanding Psychological Flexibility Among Decision-Makers

Amendment 11 to the Israeli Special Education Law came into force in January 2019. The amendment entailed a fundamental change in the concept of special education. Accordingly, guidelines were drawn up for the work of the special education committees. The decisions made in the special education committees have an impact on many areas of individual lives. Therefore, it is important to discuss, analyze and understand the decision-making processes in the committees and examine the challenges and necessary improvements. This study examines the influence of heuristics and cognitive biases on decision-making processes in special education committees. It also seeks to understand the relationship between cognitive biases that influence decisions and psychological inflexibility to determine the potential contribution of psychological flexibility to committee decisions. The study combines a qualitative analysis of 60 open-ended questionnaire with committee chairpersons and a content analysis of 50 committee protocols and decisions that describing the positions of different committee members during decision discussions with a theoretical-literary analysis of cognitive biases from the field of behavioral economics and its connection to components of psychological flexibility and inflexibility. The study found that many factors influence decision-making processes in special education committees. It also concluded that implementing components of psychological flexibility can improve decision-making processes and decision-making accuracy.