A FORMAL APPROACH TO TEACHING CHILDREN DECISION-MAKING SKILLS

PERSONALIZED DECISION ANALYSIS (PDA), BASED ON THE MAXIMIZATION OF SUBJECTIVE EXPECTED UTILITY, IS ACADEMICALLY WELL ESTABLISHED AS A NORMATIVE MODEL OF DECISION MAKING. PRACTITIONERS WORKING ON REAL DECISIONS HAVE RECENTLY DEVELOPED VARIANTS THAT HAVE PROVEN TO BE USEFUL PRESCRIPTIVE TOOLS FOR PROFESSIONAL DECISION MAKERS. BASED ON COGNITIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH, IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT, WITH SOME ADAPTATION, THESE TOOLS CAN BE TAUGHT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND ENHANCE THEIR INFORMAL DECISION-MAKING SKILLS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. IT IS PROPOSED TO VALIDATE THAT HYPOTHESIS BY DESIGNING COURSE MATERIAL, EXERCISING IT IN TWO OR THREE SCHOOLS IN THE WASHINGTON AND PHILADELPHIA AREAS, AND TESTING ITS EFFICACY ON SIMULATED DECISION TASKS. SPECIFIC STUDENT SKILLS TO BE ENHANCED INCLUDE: INTERNALIZED PATTERNS OF THINKING THAT UNDERLIE EVERYDAY DECISIONS; MAJOR PERSONAL DECISIONS REQUIRING DELIBERATE ANALYSIS; PARTICIPATION IN CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC DECISIONS; CONTRIBUTING TO FAMILY DECISION PROCESSES; AND COUNSELING OTHERS. SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES IN PRESCRIPTIVE DECISION THEORY AND PEDAGOGICAL THEORY ARE EXPECTED.