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Effectiveness of the GOFER course in decision making for high school students
Author(s) -
Mann Leon,
Harmoni Ros,
Power Colin,
Beswick Gery,
Ormond Cheryl
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of behavioral decision making
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-0771
pISSN - 0894-3257
DOI - 10.1002/bdm.3960010304
Subject(s) - psychology , test (biology) , course (navigation) , control (management) , decision maker , mathematics education , social psychology , medical education , applied psychology , management science , computer science , engineering , artificial intelligence , medicine , paleontology , biology , aerospace engineering
The paper describes and evaluates the GOFER course in decision making for high school students (Mann, Harmoni and Power, 1988). The course was based on principles from the conflict theory of decision making (Janis and Mann, 1977) and was designed to provide adolescents with an understanding of factors that produce good and poor decision making as well as knowledge and practice of sound decision skills. Two evaluation studies were conducted to examine effectiveness of the course. Study 1 was conducted with young adolescents (12 year olds). It found a significant difference between students trained in the course and a control group on measures of self‐esteem as a decision maker, self reported decision habits and knowledge of decision strategy. Study 2 was conducted with mid‐adolescents (15 year olds). It, too, found a significant difference between students who took the course and a control group on measures of self esteem as a decision maker and self‐reported decision habits. It is concluded that while the evaluation study fell short of an ideal test, the GOFER course met the criteria of improving student knowledge, raising confidence in decision making and changing self reported decision habits.