Variations in decision-making profiles by age and gender: A cluster-analytic approach

Abstract

Using cluster-analysis, we investigated whether rational, intuitive, spontaneous, dependent, and avoidant styles of decision making (Scott & Bruce, 1995) combined to form distinct decision-making profiles that differed by age and gender. Self-report survey data were collected from 1,075 members of RAND’s American Life Panel (56.2% female, 18–93 years, Mage = 53.49). Three decision-making profiles were identified: affective/experiential, independent/self-controlled, and an interpersonally-oriented dependent profile. Older people were less likely to be in the affective/experiential profile and more likely to be in the independent/self-controlled profile. Women were less likely to be in the affective/experiential profile and more likely to be in the interpersonally-oriented dependent profile. Interpersonally-oriented profiles are discussed as an overlooked but important dimension of how people make important decisions.

Relating Decision‐Making Styles to Social Orientation and Time Approach

“…In this context, it is relevant to note that people prone to use the dependent style are socially oriented (Loo, ) but not socially adaptive (Di Fabio & Kenny, ). Nevertheless, Delaney, Strough, Parker, and Bruine de Bruin () noted that the dependent style may reflect both socially oriented decision makers (e.g., motivated to gain information and acceptance) and unmotivated and/or unskilled decision makers (e.g., shift decision initiative and responsibility onto others). Yet, it is also possible that the inconsistent results for the dependent style are due to sampling error given the relatively small sample sizes used in the two studies.…”

“…One possible implication of our results is that the spontaneous style may not best reflect core decision processes (Dewberry et al, 2013a), but rather decision regulating Table V in Spicer and Sadler-Smith (2005) 426 Journal of Behavioral Decision Making processes. Previous research has noted that the essence of the spontaneous style is to act on impulse and that impulsive behavior is more common among men, who also have been found to have higher preference for use of the spontaneous style, whereas women may prefer the use of the dependent style (see Delaney et al, 2015). Furthermore, impulsivity is often considered to be an evasive behavior, and being spontaneous in one's decision making can therefore be seen as a strategy to cope with decision-related anxiety.…”

Taking the Biggest First: Age Differences in Preferences for Monetary and Hedonic Sequences

“…Further, if older adults are less likely to rely on emotions when making decisions (Delaney, Strough, Bruine de Bruin & Parker, 2015), this could explain their normatively correct economic preferences (Loewenstein & Sicherman, 1991). Using Pretz et al's (2014) measures in the current study allowed us to distinguish age-related differences that may exist between these two processing modes.…”

What is the Profile of the Investor in Household Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems?

“…The results showed that investors were characterized as independent individuals by enhancing the value of self-direction, meaning that they were people who made their own decisions. That is, they did not make decisions motivated by quick or affective reactions or due to the influence of others [60]. Investing in this technology was still a decision-making process, because people who decided to invest in household PV systems expressed the self-determination personality characteristic, that is, the ability to regulate and adapt their own behavior to the demands of a situation to achieve goals and maintain personal values.…”