Improving the Decision-Making Skills of Secondary School Students, 1992-1993: [Eugene, Oregon]

Resource Information

The work Improving the Decision-Making Skills of Secondary School Students, 1992-1993: [Eugene, Oregon] represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bowdoin College Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Improving the Decision-Making Skills of Secondary School Students, 1992-1993: [Eugene, Oregon]

Creator

• Gregory, Robin
• Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]

Author

• Gregory, Robin

Contributor

• Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]

Subject

• secondary education
• student attitudes
• Education, Secondary
• television
• students
• advertising
• decision making
• influence

Summary

This study presents a profile of secondary school students' knowledge and attitudes about decision-making. Data were collected from middle school, high school, and college students in the Eugene, Oregon, area via self-completion questionnaires, between October 1992 and April 1993. Given the opportunity to appear in a television ad, respondents were asked to characterize the factors that would influence their decision to participate. Factors included similar past experiences, input from family members and friends, expected return from participating, other commitments, future goals, and personal feelings. Those queried were then asked which factors would influence whether they had a positive or negative experience, such as the amount of thought they put into the decision, whether there was enough information available to make a good decision, and whether it worked out. In addition, each cohort was asked further questions. Part 1, Spencer Butte Middle School Data, contains data from 113 7th-grade students, collected during the month of October 1992. Respondents were asked what came to their minds when asked to think about "decision-making". Those queried were given five scenarios, such as being asked to join friends for a late movie and being asked to help a friend with homework, and were asked how they would respond in each situation. Background information on respondents includes sex. Part 2, Sheldon High School Data, contains data from 224 9th-grade students, collected during January 1993. Part 3, International High School Data, contains data from 88 9th-grade students, collected during January 1993. Respondents in both Parts 2 and 3 completed the same survey instrument. Those queried were given five scenarios, such as spending money received as a gift to purchase a CD player or going on a three-week trip to Africa, and asked how they would respond in each situation. Respondents were asked which factors would influence their decision to accept an after-school job offer. Those queried were also asked how they would advise a friend to spend their spring break, studying or traveling. Respondents were asked to describe one big decision that they had made that semester. Background information on respondents includes sex, current employment status, and past employment experience. Part 4, University of Oregon Data, contains data from 70 student respondents collected during April 1993. Respondents were asked to assess their own decision-making skills, the amount of important decisions they made, and their attitudes toward decision-making, including the influence of others on the decision-making process and whether they liked decisions to be made for them. Background information on respondents includes sex