Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Decision Science
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The traditional definition of decision-making competence primarily focuses on cognitive abilities.
• Real-life decision-making success is complex and may involve factors beyond purely cognitive skills.
• Understanding individual differences in decision-making is crucial for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success.
• To explore the expansion of decision-making competence by incorporating social skills and time-approach.
• To determine the predictive power of cognitive, social, and time-approach aspects of competence on decision-making success.

Main Methods:

• Three studies were conducted using web-based questionnaires and samples of community members and professionals.
• Study 1 examined correlations between objective and subjective measures of decision-making success.
• Studies 2 and 3 assessed the predictive validity of cognitive, social, and time-approach factors on decision-making success indicators.

Main Results:

• Results suggest that objective and subjective indicators are related to real-life decision-making success.
• Expanding the definition of decision-making competence to include social skills and time-approach significantly improves predictive power.
• Individual differences in real-life decision-making success can be effectively measured using multiple criteria.

Conclusions:

• Research on decision-making competence should adopt a broader definition that encompasses social skills and time-approach.
• These additional aspects are valuable predictors of successful real-life decision-making.
• Future research and practice should consider diverse criteria for assessing decision-making competence and success.