Relationship Between Basic Human Values and Decision-Making Styles in Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Development
• Decision-Making Research

Background:

• Decision-making involves stages to resolve dilemmas.
• Understanding adolescent decision-making styles and values is crucial for development.
• Existing literature highlights the complexity of decision-making processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between decision-making styles and values in Spanish adolescents.
• To analyze the influence of age and gender on adaptive and maladaptive decision-making styles.
• To inform the development of targeted decision-making training programs.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, ex post facto, non-experimental research design.
• Utilized the Flinders Adolescents Decision-Making Questionnaire (FADMQ) and Schwartz Values Scale (SVS).
• Employed correlation analysis, with age and gender as classifying variables.

Main Results:

• Adaptive decision-making styles correlate with values like Self-direction, Stimulation, Achievement, and Power.
• Maladaptive styles are associated with avoiding Self-direction and conservative tendencies.
• Gender showed consistent correlations between decision-making styles and values for both males and females.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent values significantly influence their decision-making styles.
• Age impacts the strength and number of correlations between values and decision-making styles, with younger adolescents showing higher correlations.
• Findings can guide educators in creating value-based decision-making training programs.