Research on search, choice and decision-making has long been divided into two branches: a branch with based on consequential logic; a second branch with behavioral logic which seemingly pre-empts human decision based on future. 

The major common criticism for both branches is that these two don’t describe and prescribe forward-looking decision-making, with consequential logic branch assuming a constant past moving ahead and hyper-rationality; and behavioral approach emphasizing past-oriented, experiential decision-making. As a result, what we know about decision-making now is local, incremental, and inertial decision-making based on the past experience. 

This paper draws from sociology to put forward a normative and descriptive theory of forward-looking search based on social cognition. It is useful to practitioners and researchers as it shows ways to make decisions that are rooted in the future.