Children's Evaluations of Decision-Making Procedures in Peer, Family, and School Contexts

Children's evaluations of decision-making procedures were examined in applications in different social contexts. Seventy-two children evenly divided into three grade levels (grades 1 – 2, 3 – 4, 5 – 6) were administered a structured interview requiring them to evaluate three decision-making procedures (consensus, majority rule, and authority-based) embedded in three social contexts (peer group, family, and school classroom) and to select the most appropriate decision-making procedure for two specific decisions: one expected to pull for procedures emphasizing children's autonomous decision making, and one expected to pull for adult authority. Judgments of decision-making procedures at all grade levels did not show a heteronomous acceptance of adult authority but rather were influenced by social context and type of decision. In general, consensus was preferred in peer and family contexts and authority-based procedures were preferred for school decisions about curriculum. Older children were more likely than younger children to consider how children's limited knowledge and competence may constrain their autonomous decision making.     

基于互补判断矩阵的模糊多属性群决策方法

针对属性值为梯形模糊数,属性权重未知,决策者对方案有梯形模糊数互补判断矩阵的模糊多属性群决策问题,提出一种群决策方法.给出了由综合属性值得到方案间相互比较的梯形模糊数互补判断矩阵的转化方法.借助梯形模糊数间距离的顶点法表示,建立模糊规划模型,最小化两类梯形模糊数互补判断矩阵间的偏差.求解模型,得到属性的精确权重.进而根据综合属性值对方案排序.最后给出一个数值例子验证所提方法的有效性.     

Heuristic decision-making in foster care matching: Evidence from a think-aloud study

Complex decisions are often based on heuristics, which are shortcuts or simple ‘rules of thumb’. Since the matching decision in family foster care is often made in a less-than-ideal setting and riddled with uncertainty, heuristics are expected to be applied in that field of child and youth care on a daily basis. However, the use of heuristics in the matching decision has not been studied empirically until now. This research explores how decision-making heuristics are used by practitioners to determine which foster family is the best fit for a child. A number of 20 matching practitioners from the Netherlands were interviewed using vignettes and a ‘think-aloud’ methodology to generate an understanding of their reasoning. Two types of vignettes were created: hypothetical children and hypothetical foster families. The interviews were analyzed using a qualitative deductive content analysis focusing on key indicators of three classes of heuristics: recognition heuristics, one-reason heuristics, and trade-off heuristics. The results show that recognition heuristics did not play a decisive role in the matching process; practitioners considered more than one family before making a final decision. The findings for the one-reason heuristics reveal conjunctive decision-making rules; families were rejected based on one negative premise. The analysis of the trade-off heuristics demonstrates that the number of positive premises and the ratio between positive and negative premises predicted the matching decision. However, the total number of premises also predicted the matching decision, which might indicate confirmation bias.     

The curiosity of abused preschool children in mother-present,teacher-present,and stranger-present situations

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine differences in the curiosity behavior of abused preschool children in three situations: with their mothers, a teacher, and a female stranger; (b) to determine whether these children would exhibit more curiosity when exposed to novel versus familiar objects; and (c) to examine several adult behaviors that are theoretically related to children's curiosity. Twenty-three 2-to 5-year-old abused low socioeconomic children participated in a warm-up session with their mothers followed by three procedurally equivalent sessions during which the child, the mother, the teacher, and a stranger were exposed to 6 novel and 6 familiar play objects. Regardless of the social situation, the children and the adults explored the familiar objects more than the novel objects. The children explored the novel objects significantly less in the stranger-present situation than in the other situations. Finally, the pattern of adult findings indicated that abusive mothers were less likely to encourage curiosity in their children than were teachers or strangers. These results were related to past research with white, middle-class, nonabused children.     

A comparison of children with and without learning disabilities on social problem-solving skill, school behavior, and family background

The study compared 86 children with learning disabilities (LD) with 86 matched children without learning disabilities (NLD) on three domains of variables: social problem-solving skill, teacher-rated school behavior and competence, and family background. The children with LD and the NLD group differed on variables in all three domains. More specifically, the children with LD were able to generate fewer alternatives for solving social problem situations, showed less tolerance for frustration and less adaptive assertiveness, and had more overall classroom behavior problems and less personal and social competence in a variety of areas as rated by teachers. Children having LD also showed more family background difficulties (e.g., lack of educational stimulation at home, economic difficulties). The findings suggest the need for greater attention to social and behavioral remediation for children with LD and greater involvement of their families, in addition to the cognitive and academic remediation emphasized in existing curricula for children with LD.     

The effects of an experimental social development program on children in the middle childhood period

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a social development program on role-taking, problem-solving skills, and classroom adjustment in 9- and 10-year-old children. The subjects in the study were 68 children (34 matched pairs); the 34 experimental children were matched on the basis of sex, race, age, and group IQ scores with students in the control group. The results indicated that the children in the experimental group gained in respect for others, ability to generate alternatives to problem situations, creative expression, patience, and self-reliance.     

现代农业企业机器选型配套决策框架模型及其应用

本文在认识现代农业企业机器造型配套重要性的基础上,详细分析了其中5个主要的决策目标和依靠这些目标所建立的相应的决策框架模型,并用此模型解决了一个基本的决策问题。     

Decision-process behaviors of academic managers

Identifying decision processes which academic managers prefer was the focus of this study. Sixty-eight division chairpersons in a community college system, 10 in a 4-year college, and 29 in a university were questioned about 30 problem situations. Chairpersons usually selected consultative decision-process styles which encourage faculty participation. These consultative decision styles are protective of the quality of decision outcomes. However, faculty acceptance and commitment to decision alternatives often was a threat. Participation was not used in problem situations as a means to resolving conflicts. The Vroom-Yetton decision model was helpful in identifying strengths and weaknesses of decision behaviors of chairpersons.     

ANALOGICAL REASONING OF SUPERNORMAL AND NORMAL CHILDREN

This study compares supernormal children with normals, in order to establish criteria for the identification of analogical reasoning in supernormal children. There were three experiments in the study involving analogical reasoning with figures, with pictures of objects or words, and with numbers. The subjects were 1,950 3‐ to 14‐year‐old normal children divided into 12 age groups, and over 100 supernormal youngsters. Relatively difficult items were more useful than easy ones in identification, while the developmental levels of supernormal children not only surpassed those of normal children of the same age, but the supernormals were found to be superior in grasping the interrelationship of objects in bipartite situations. Identification of supernormal children through analysis both of their performance and also of processes and characteristics in experimental tasks is not only necessary but also feasible.     

Development of decision‐making skills and environmental concern through computer‐based,scaffolded learning activities

This article focuses on the development of decision‐making skills and environmental concern by 11‐ and 12‐year‐old students through computer‐based, scaffolded learning activities. The enacted activities provided necessary scientific information and allowed for the consideration of multiple aspects of the problem, the study of the effects of every possible solution and the formulation and balancing of criteria. The optimization strategy for decision making was adopted, because it allows for the development of compensatory thinking which is more relevant to actual situations of decision making. Twelve students participated in the pilot enactment of the proposed activities. Data collection relied on students’ reports and pre‐ and post‐ tests as well as a closed questionnaire designed to measure students’ environmental concern. The teaching intervention proved quite successful in enhancing the decision‐making skills of the participating children. Moreover, students’ performance on the environmental concern questionnaire correlated in interesting ways with the improvement of decision‐making skills.     

Effects of “nonrational” influences on decision making in higher education: A simulation test

The purpose of the present study was to determine if a nonrational model of decision-making was used by college administrators in three typical areas of college operations. Were the value positions taken by three college constituency groups (faculty, students, community board) on problems in curriculum, student affairs, and personnel influencing decisions made by administrative groups? In a simulation study, information describing a mythical community college was prepared, using the dimensions of the management-information system CAMPUS (Comprehensive Analytical Methods for Planning in University Systems). Three simulated problems within the hypothetical community college setting were administered to teams of decision makers each composed of three junior college administrators. Junior college administrators did not use the nonrational model in reaching group or individual decisions in the three simulated problem areas. Administrators did not respond in a significant manner to the influence of college constituency groups in reaching decisions. The type of problem being considered (curriculum, student affairs, and personnel) was a significant factor in determining decision alternatives selected by administrators. Both the rational and nonrational models of decision-making as used in this study appear inadequate to explain administrative decisions. It is tenable to posit that decision-making is influenced at least as much by previously learned responses of the decision-makers, and it may need to be considered as an important element in any model of decision-making.     

Designing for decision making

Decision making is the most common kind of problem solving. It is also an important component skill in other more ill-structured and complex kinds of problem solving, including policy problems and design problems. There are different kinds of decisions, including choices, acceptances, evaluations, and constructions. After describing the centrality and importance of decision making to problem solving and everyday cognition, this paper contrasts normative (rational) with naturalistic approaches to decision making. Normative approaches, such as decision matrices, SWOT, and force field analyses, scaffold rational decision-making approaches. Naturalistic approaches such as constructing stories, mental simulations, scenarios, and arguments, emphasize the meanings of decision options and the role of unconscious emotions in decision making. Recommendations about instructional designs to support both conceptions are followed by recommendations about assessing decisions and decision-making ability. These recommendations provide many researchable questions.     

IDMI analysis of regional low-carbon development based on system dynamic simulation

During the decision-making process, especially in multi-disciplinary complex cases, assessment technique is needed to assist policy-makers in making the right decision. Many of such assessment techniques have been developed for policy-makers, but the inevitable subjectivity of policy-makers often becomes the main obstacle in making the right or proper policy. Interlink decision-making index （IDMI） is a newly proposed assessment method with the advantages of being simple to use and having less human interference over other methods, as it does not require a weighting process of each selection criterion. This paper implements IDMI to assist with decision-making in national or regional low-carbon development, using China as a case study. The Chinese government has annotmced its carbon emission reduction target along with other development targets by 2020. Many policy settings can be chosen in order to achieve those targets. The problem is how to determine the best setting and the means by which decision-makers can avoid subjectivity and extremes. A number of policy setting options are generated carefully by a system dynamic model under different policy scenarios. The IDMI demonstrates a perfect way to assist in selecting the ＂best＂ among all the options that can achieve the goals within the acceptable range.     

基于模糊有序加权平均算子的模具设计与制造课程开发

针对当前模具设计与制造数字化技术的广泛应用,研究了决策信息以三角模糊数互补判断矩阵形式给出的有限方案决策问题,给出了一种模糊有序加权平均（FOWA）算子,利用该算子对以三角模糊数互补判断矩阵形式给出的判断信息进行了集结。基于FOWG算子及互补判断矩阵排序公式,给出了一种对决策方案进行排序和择优的算法。利用该算法对模具设计与制造课程开发方案进行排序和择优,为高职教育构建一个开放的、动态的课程体系提供了依据。     

Low-income African and Latina immigrant mothers’ selection of early childhood care and education (ECCE): Considering the complexity of cultural and structural influences

Grounded in ecocultural theory and utilizing in-depth interview data, this paper explores the experiences of 40 low-income immigrant mothers as they selected and secured early childhood care and education (ECCE) for their young children. Cultural and structural aspects of low-income immigrant families’ lives and their influence in shaping these families’ ECCE decision-making processes were examined. Latina and African mothers’ experiences were considered, as these mothers’ country of origin (COO) experiences were varied as well as their documentation statuses upon arrival in the US, with 15 of the Latinas being undocumented. Mothers discussed reasons for seeking ECCE, with maternal employment being most important. Some mothers looked to ECCE to recreate social experiences for their children similar to those in their COOs. Many mothers indicated looking for ECCE programs in which their children could learn English and interact with children from diverse backgrounds. Mothers tended to utilize social and organizational connections to secure ECCE and documentation of residence shaped the number and severity of obstacles mothers faced in securing ECCE. The findings from this study inform researchers, policymakers, and practitioners as to how both culture and structure shape ECCE decision making among low-income African and Latina/o immigrant families.     

基于梯形模糊语言变量的多属性决策方法

研究了决策者的偏好信息（属性值）为梯形模糊语言变量（TFLV）的模糊语言多属性决策问题．定义了2个梯形模糊语言变量比较的可能度公式并研究了它的一些基本性质,给出了基于可能度公式的梯形模糊语言变量多属性决策的方案排序方法．这种方法通过对决策信息进行TFLWA算子加权集结,并通过比较梯形模糊语言变量的可能度得到所有方案的排序结果．在不损失模糊语言信息的条件下,该方法计算过程简单,决策结果合理且有效．最后,通过一个实例说明了该方法的操作过程．     

应届毕业生与在职人士职业决策比较研究

利用信息板技术,采用2×2×8的混合实验设计,对应届毕业生和在职人士的职业决策进行比较研究。通过方差分析、T检验研究职业选项、职业属性对职业决策的影响。结果表明：职业选项、职业属性对点击次数和查看时间的影响显著,同时职业选项数影响了决策的搜索深度;应届毕业生和在职人士在属性的点击次数和查看时间上存在差异;在决策的搜索模式上,应届毕业生和在职人士在四种职业选项任务中的搜索模式存在显著差异。     

Analysis of Korean High School Students' Decision-Making Processes in Solving a Problem Involving Biological Knowledge

In this study, the cognitive characteristics of students' decision-making processes centered on phases, difficulties, and strategies are analysed in the personal dailylife context involving biological knowledge. The subjects were first year science and general high school students in Seoul, Korea; 6 female students and 7 male students. The students' decision-making processes were analysed by think-aloud and participant observation methods. On the whole, the students' decision-making processes progressed in following order: recognizing a problem, searching for alternatives, evaluating the alternatives, and decision. During the decision-making processes, the above phases were repeated by trial and error. Students preferred noncompensatory rules that did not allow trade offs among alternatives for decisions, rather than compensatory rules of selection. Students had a tendency to have difficulties in analysing the difference between initial state and desirable state of the problem, organising biological knowledge-related problems, and clarifying values as selective criteria. Even students who had high achievement and more positive science-related attitudes did not apply biological knowledge to search for alternatives, and could not utilise scientific values as selective criteria very well. We discuss the implications of these results for teaching of decision-making in respect to scientific literacy.