Problem Representation in Foreign Policy Decision-Making

doi:10.1017/9780511625718

Previous studies of foreign policy decision making have largely focused on the choice among specified options rather than the prior question of how the options were specified in the first place. Such 'problem representation' is the focus of this volume. How do the game theorists' options and utilities come about? Concretely, for example, how and why in the Cuban missile crisis were blockade, air strike, and invasion chosen as options? To answer such questions, the editors contend the representation of the problem to which the options are a response, the determinants of that representation, and its ramifications must all be analyzed. The contributors to the volume consider these issues both conceptually and empirically, employing the methods of both international relations and political psychology.

"This volume is an excellent addition to the more advanced study of foreign policy analysis. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above." Choice

- Aa Reduce text
- Aa Enlarge text

View selected items
Save to my bookmarks
Export citations
Download PDF (zip)
Save to Kindle
Save to Dropbox
Save to Google Drive
Save content to
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to .

To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Please be advised that item(s) you selected are not available.
You are about to save
Your Kindle email address

Please provide your Kindle email.

@free.kindle.com @kindle.com (service fees apply)

By using this service, you agree that you will only keep content for personal use, and will not openly distribute them via Dropbox, Google Drive or other file sharing services

Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Contents
pp v-vi
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

List of Contributors
pp vii-viii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Part I - Introducing Problem Representation
pp 1-2
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

1 - Introduction
pp 3-7
- By Donald A. Sylvan, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

2 - On the Representation of Problems: An Information-Processing Approach to Foreign Policy Decision Making
pp 8-26
- By James F. Voss, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Part II - Overarching Conceptual Issues
pp 27-28
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

3 - The Interpretation of Foreign Policy Events: A Cognitive Process Theory
pp 29-52
- By Charles S. Taber, Department of Political Science, State University of New York at Stony Brook
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

4 - Problem Identification in Sequential Policy Decision Making: The Re-representation of Problems
pp 53-79
- By Robert S. Billings, Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Charles F. Hermann, George Bush School of International Relations, Texas A&M University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

5 - Collective Interpretations: How Problem Representations Aggregate in Foreign Policy Groups
pp 80-115
- By Ryan Beasley, Department of Political Science, University of Kansas
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

6 - Image Change and Problem Representation after the Cold War
pp 116-144
- By Martha Cottam, Department of Political Science, Washington State University, Dorcas E. McCoy, Department of Political Science, University of Central Florida
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Part III - Empirical Analysis
pp 145-146
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

7 - Problem Representations and Political Expertise: Evidence from “Think Aloud” Protocols of South African Elite
pp 147-186
- By Helen E. Purkitt, Department of Political Science, U.S. Naval Academy
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

8 - Reasoning and Problem Representation in Foreign Policy: Groups, Individuals, and Stories
pp 187-212
- By Donald A. Sylvan, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University, Deborah M. Haddad, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

9 - Representing Problem Representation
pp 213-248
- By Michael D. Young, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

10 - A Problem-Solving Perspective on Decision-Making Processes and Political Strategies in Committees: The Case of Controversial Supreme Court Justice Nomination Hearings
pp 249-260
- By Katherine M. Gannon, Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

11 - When Gender Goes to Combat: The Impact of Representations in Collective Decision Making
pp 261-278
- By Silvana Rubino-Hallman, Department of Political Science, Syracuse University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

12 - Representations of the Gulf Crisis as Derived from the U.S. Senate Debate
pp 279-302
- By James F. Voss, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Jennifer Wiley, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Joel Kennet, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Tonya E. Schooler, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Laurie Ney Silfies, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

13 - Configuring Issue Areas: Belgian and Dutch Representations of the Role of Foreign Assistance in Foreign Policy
pp 303-330
- By Marijke Breuning, Department of Political Science, Truman State University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Part IV - Conclusion
pp 331-332
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

14 - Reflecting on the Study of Problem Representation: How Are We Studying It, and What Are We Learning?
pp 333-342
- By Donald A. Sylvan, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Index
pp 343-347
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Metrics

Total number of HTML views: 0

Total number of PDF views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

Total views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.

Problem Representation in Foreign Policy Decision-Making

This Book has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Book description

Reviews

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

List of Contributors
pp vii-viii

Part I - Introducing Problem Representation
pp 1-2

1 - Introduction
pp 3-7

2 - On the Representation of Problems: An Information-Processing Approach to Foreign Policy Decision Making
pp 8-26

Part II - Overarching Conceptual Issues
pp 27-28

3 - The Interpretation of Foreign Policy Events: A Cognitive Process Theory
pp 29-52

4 - Problem Identification in Sequential Policy Decision Making: The Re-representation of Problems
pp 53-79

5 - Collective Interpretations: How Problem Representations Aggregate in Foreign Policy Groups
pp 80-115

6 - Image Change and Problem Representation after the Cold War
pp 116-144

Part III - Empirical Analysis
pp 145-146

7 - Problem Representations and Political Expertise: Evidence from “Think Aloud” Protocols of South African Elite
pp 147-186

8 - Reasoning and Problem Representation in Foreign Policy: Groups, Individuals, and Stories
pp 187-212

9 - Representing Problem Representation
pp 213-248

10 - A Problem-Solving Perspective on Decision-Making Processes and Political Strategies in Committees: The Case of Controversial Supreme Court Justice Nomination Hearings
pp 249-260

11 - When Gender Goes to Combat: The Impact of Representations in Collective Decision Making
pp 261-278

12 - Representations of the Gulf Crisis as Derived from the U.S. Senate Debate
pp 279-302

13 - Configuring Issue Areas: Belgian and Dutch Representations of the Role of Foreign Assistance in Foreign Policy
pp 303-330

Part IV - Conclusion
pp 331-332

14 - Reflecting on the Study of Problem Representation: How Are We Studying It, and What Are We Learning?
pp 333-342

Index
pp 343-347

Metrics

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information

Problem Representation in Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Book description

Reviews

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Save Search

Contents

Metrics

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information