Decision Fatigue Decoded

Decision fatigue is the slow drop in decision quality after you have made many choices in a row. It is not about being tired in your body. It is your judgment quietly wearing down.

A widely cited study tracked over a thousand parole rulings by experienced Israeli judges. Approval rates appeared to fall over a session and rise again after breaks. The pattern is famous, but the decision-fatigue interpretation is disputed; critics argue scheduling and case-order effects may explain more than simple mental depletion.