Which of the following is an indicator of good engineering judgment?

Good engineering judgment is characterized by the ability to assess a situation by evaluating the associated risks and benefits before making a decision. This approach ensures that decisions are not made impulsively or without careful consideration of potential consequences. Weighing risks involves identifying possible negative outcomes and their likelihood, while assessing benefits helps in understanding the positive impacts of the decision. This balanced perspective promotes informed decision-making that is crucial in the engineering field, where the stakes can involve safety, functionality, and cost efficiency.

The other choices, while they may seem relevant in certain contexts, do not exemplify good judgment in engineering practice. Making decisions based solely on intuition lacks the analytical rigor required to understand the nuances of a problem. Following trends without analysis can lead to decisions that are not grounded in technical reality, potentially resulting in poor outcomes. Relying solely on past experiences may overlook changes in technology, regulations, or project specifications that are critical to current decisions, limiting the ability to adapt to new situations.