How to Make Decisions in Style? Psychological Correlates of Decision-Making Styles

Introduction: Decision-making styles are a research area of individual differences psychology. The construct of decision-making style refers to an individual’s relatively stable tendency to respond to decision-making tasks. It helps explain differences between individuals who make distinct choices in seemingly identical decision-making tasks and contexts. Research Aim: The aim of the study was to determine correlations between decision-making styles and temperament, affect, thinking styles and coping with stress in early adults. Research Method: A questionnaire study was conducted using standardized psychological tests: the General Decision Making Style Questionnaire (KSPD), the Sensation Seeking Scale ImpSS-8, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule PANAS, the Thinking Style Inventory TSI, and the Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress Mini-COPE. A total of 280 individuals in the developmental stage of early adulthood (20−40 years old) were surveyed. Results: Decision-making styles were found to statistically significantly correlate with temperament traits, trait affect, thinking styles and coping strategies. Conclusion: The findings of the study expand the knowledge of the impact of the decision maker’s individual characteristics on the entire decision-making process. By examining the strength and nature of the relationships between young adults’ decision-making styles and selected personal variables, we were able to identify some of the characteristics that play a role in shaping those individuals’ adaptive and non-adaptive decision-making styles.