The effect of conflict theory based decision making skill training group applications on decision making styles of adolescents

In this study, the effect of conflict theory based decision making skill training group applications on decision making styles of adolescents was investigated.The research was conducted in 2008-2009 academic year with ninth graders studying in Piri Reis and Danişment Gazi Anatolian High School. Two classes were randomly assigned and the study was conducted with the volunteer students from these randomly assigned classes.The research is a kind of experimental study. There were 18 students in experimental group, 18 students in control group and totally 36 students participated to the research. When assigning students to experimental group or control group, Decision Making Scale for Adolescents, Socio-Economic Status Scale, Problem Solving Inventory, Self-Esteem Scale, Locus of Control Scale and Parental Style Inventory were used. Students who falled into the extreme peaks within the normal curve were not included in the study.While the experimental group participated in a psycho-educational based group application that was based upon Conflict Theory (Janis and Mann, 1977), the control group did not participate in any kind of application. The decision making skill training applications for the experimental group consisted of 60-minute sessions conducted twice a week. The conflict theory based decision making skill training applications for the experimental group was developed as a psycho-educational group to help adolescents to experience decision making, to gain integrated information about the principles of decision making, to understand the reasons of their wrong decisions, to make more confident decisions, to control their decisions better and to extend their alternatives.The data was collected via quantitative and qualitative methods. For collecting the qualitative data, Decision Making Scale for Adolescents was applied to the participants in the experimental and control group. The scale was given as pretest, posttest and follow-up measure to the participants in experimental and control group. In the quantitative analysis of the research, co-variance analysis and t-test techniques were used. The qualitative data of the research was collected via Group Related Measures (DeLucia-Waack, 2006), Critical Incidents in Group Work (Kivlighan and Goldfine, 1991) and Evaluation at the End of The Group By Members (DeLucia-Waack, 2006). Group Related Measures were filled by leader and co-leader for each member, Critical Incidents in Group Work was filled by group members at the end of each session and Evaluation at the End of the Group by Members was filled by group members at the end of all sessions.The findings of the research indicate that decision making skill training group applications increased the self-esteem level of adolescents and the application of adaptive coping style, whereas decreased the application of maladaptive coping style and this effect seems to be long term. However, it was found that the applications did not cause any difference for the acquisition of boys and girls. In the light of these findings, it can be said that decision making skill training group applications is effective in increasing the self-esteem level in decision making, improving vigilant decision making style and decreasing negative coping styles (conscience, panic and cope-out) of adolescents.Key Words: Adolescents, decision making, decision making styles, decision making in adolescents, decision making skill training, psycho-educational groups.