Decisional styles and online study activity: efficient, inefficient, misdirected or avoidant

ABSTRACT

Within a Learning and Teaching Support platform, Janis and Mann’s (1977). “Emergency Decision Making: A Theoretical Analysis of Responses to Disaster Warnings.” Journal of Human Stress 3 (2): 35–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/0097840X.1977.9936085) model of decision making was used to examine relationships between people’s decisional styles, objective measurements of file use and the subsequent quality of their work. A total of 95 Undergraduate Psychology students consented to the monitoring of their online study behaviours, and completed the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire. Better online grades were linked to the general ability and better decisional self-esteem. Greater amounts of file access were associated with hypervigilance and more time spent online. The number of missed supplementary online quizzes was related to poorer decisional self-esteem, fewer files accessed online but less procrastination. While good decisional styles were associated with better quality outcomes, defective decisional styles can manifest online as greater file access or fewer tasks completed. An absence, inappropriate or an excess of online activity can indicate students are defensively avoidant or panicking and need assistance.

KEYWORDS:

• Decision-making
• panic
• procrastination
• affective computing
• learning analytics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).