Answer:
The optimistic approach examines the best possible outcome in a given situation and chooses the 'best of the best' while the pessimistic approach examines the worst possible outcome in a given situation and chooses the 'best of the worst'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Decision making under assumed uncertainty is an approach that is taken when the outcomes of future events are not entirely known. The Hurwicz criterion provides a basis on which the pessimistic and optimistic outcomes can be balanced. This criterion allows the person who makes the decision to chose a coefficient of pessimism signified by alpha (α) and it is a decimal that is graded between 0 and 1. This number signifies the worst possible outcome whereas, the number (1-α) signifies the best outcome.
So, the optimistic approach examines the best possible outcome in a given situation and allows the decision-maker to choose the 'best of the best', while the pessimistic approach examines the worst possible outcome in a given situation and the decision-maker to choose the 'best of the worst'