Decision-Making Style: The Development and Assessment of a New Measure

TLDR

The study aimed to develop a conceptually consistent and psychometrically sound measure of decision‑making style. A multistage, four‑sample design was employed, involving construct definition, item generation, principal‑axis factor analysis with varimax rotation, and tests of independence and concurrent validity to produce four distinct, reliable scales. The scale development revealed a fifth style, spontaneous, and the instrument is discussed in the context of existing literature.

Abstract

A multistage, four sample study was conducted to develop a conceptually consistent and psychometrically sound measure of decision-making style. Construct definitions were developed from prior theory, and items were written to assess rational, avoidant, intuitive, and dependent decision-making styles. A series of principal-axis factor analyses with varimax rotation and subsequent item analyses were conducted to develop four conceptually distinct scales with acceptable internal consistency (alpha ranging from .68 to .94) and a stable factor structure. In the process of scale development, a fifth style (spontaneous) was identified. Tests for independence among the five decision-making style scales and concurrent validity analyses were conducted. Finally, discussion of the new instrument with reference to the extant literature is provided.