Improving adolescent judgment and decision making.

Abstract

Human judgment and decision making (JDM) has substantial room for improvement, especially among adolescents. Increased technological and social complexity “ups the ante” for developing impactful JDM interventions and aids. Current explanatory advances in this field emphasize dual processing models that incorporate both experiential and analytic processing systems. According to these models, judgment and decisions based on the experiential system are rapid and stem from automatic reference to previously stored episodes. Those based on the analytic system are viewed as slower and consciously developed. These models also hypothesize that metacognitive (self-monitoring) activities embedded in the analytic system influence how and when the two systems are used. What is not included in these models is the development of an intersection between the two systems. Because such an intersection is strongly suggested by memory and educational research as the basis of wisdom/expertise, the present paper describes an Integrated Judgment and Decision-Making Model (IJDM) that incorporates this component. Wisdom/expertise is hypothesized to contain a collection of schematic structures that can emerge from the accumulation of similar episodes or repeated analytic practice. As will be argued, in comparisons to dual system models, the addition of this component provides a broader basis for selecting and designing interventions to improve adolescent JDM. Its development also has implications for generally enhancing cognitive interventions by adopting principles from athletic training to create automated, expert behaviors.

Effectiveness of a Theoretically-Based Judgment and Decision Making Intervention for Adolescents

“…The TRIP curriculum represents a first attempt at designing an intervention that utilizes various components of the Integrated Judgment and Decision Making Model (IJDM; Dansereau et al, 2013). Built on recent theoretical advances in cognitive science (e.g., Albert & Steinberg, 2011; Klaczynski, 2005), TRIP integrates experiential and analytic thinking through the application of interactive, graphically-enhanced tools and strategies.…”

“…TRIP is a compilation of tools and materials that have been explored with adults and adapted for use with adolescent clients (see Dansereau et al, 2013). The modules are designed for delivery in the first 30 days of treatment (orientation or induction phase).…”

“…The Integrated Judgment and Decision Making Model (IJDM; Dansereau et al, 2013) includes four interrelated system components: experience, analysis, wisdom/expertise, and metacognition. Two of these, the experiential and analytic systems have formed the cornerstones of contemporary theories (Klaczynski, 2005).…”

“…Theoretical advances in cognitive science have recently been applied to intervention research (Dansereau, Knight, & Flynn, 2013) and translated into curricula designed to promote metacognition and use of analytic strategies in adolescents’ general decision making (Bartholomew, Dansereau, Knight, Becan, & Flynn, 2012). These applications have implications for the treatment of adolescents with problems resulting from poor choices (drug abuse, unprotected sex, bullying).…”

“…Although most treatment programs targeting adolescent problems include the objective of improving judgment and decision making skills, they have not explicably incorporated principles and practices derived from recent theoretical and empirical advances (Dansereau et al, 2013). In order to help bridge this gap, the present study examines the feasibility and effectiveness of an integrated theory-based judgment and decision making intervention for adolescents, the Treatment Readiness and Induction Program (TRIP).…”