DELIBERATION AND RESOLUTION IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES - A SELF-REPORT SCALE FOR ADOLESCENTS

The article describes the development and validation of a scale for me asuring the prevalence of typical decision-making processes used by ad olescents. Two studies are reported. In the first, a total of 82 high school students (14 through 17 years)participated in special workshops , and gave details of their typical concerns and the way they tackled them. In the second study, a total of 652 high school students filled out 1,272 questionnaires in which they rated the frequencies of using certain procedures in decision-making, based on different levels of de liberation and resolution. Data were factor analyzed and three factors , containing 17 items, emerged: (a) Vacillation-high level of delibera tion and no or unstable choice, (b) Undeliberated Conclusion-where act ion is based on very little consideration or on dependency on others, and (c) Thoughtful Determination-clear and determined choice based on serious deliberation.