Decision making competence in everyday life: the roles of general cognitive styles, decision making styles and personality
Research indicates that decision making competence in everyday life is associated with certain decision making styles. The aims of this article are to extend this research by examining (a) the extent to which general cognitive styles explain variance in decision making competence over and above decision making styles, and (b) the extent to which personality explains variance in decision making competence over and above both types of style variable. Participants (N 355) completed measures of everyday decision making competence (Decision Outcomes Inventory) decision styles (Decision Style Questionnaire; Maximization Inventory) cognitive styles (the Cognitive Styles Inventory; Rational Experience Inventory) and the Big Five personality variables (IPIP Big Five factor scales) The results indicate that cognitive styles offer no incremental validity over decision making styles in predicting decision making competence, but that personality does offer substantial incremental validity over general cognitive styles and decision making styles. Jointly decision making styles and personality account for a substantial amount of variance in everyday decision making competence.