title: 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.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, Department of Psychology, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, Department of Psychology, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506.
authors.forename: JoNell
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strough
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Centre for Decision Research, Maurice Keyworth Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom ; Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: Wandi Bruine
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: de Bruin
keywords: age differences; cluster analysis; decision making; decision-making styles; gender