A study of the pattern of learning style characteristics for adult dependent decision-makers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a pattern of preferred learning style characteristics for adult "Dependent" decision-makers. Then, use those identified characteristics and their associated instructional/learning strategies to suggest instructional interventions for "Dependent“ decision-makers.

One hundred and forty-four adult Community College students were used as subjects for this study. All subjects were enrolled in a career/life planning course, where measurement of their decision-making styles and learning style characteristics were obtained. Three instruments were used: (a) the Assessment of Career Decision Making (ACDM), (b) Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS), and, (c) Kolb's Learning-Style Inventory (LSI).

Each subject was identified as belonging to one of five decision-making style groups: (a) Rational, N=25; (b) Intuitive, N=30; (c) Dependent, N=31; (d) Combination, N-23; and, (e) Unclassified, N=35. The "Dependent" decision-making group had a mean age of 33.42 years and was predominantly white (87%). Even though this group had more females (61.3%), this group was less dominated by females than the total sample (74.3%).

Using the raw scores from each of the twenty learning-style characteristic elements of the PEPS, a one-way analysis of the variance (ANOVA) was used in analyzing the data for the five decision-making groups. A significance level of .05 was selected for the ANOVA. The same procedure was used to analyze the raw scores for the four learning modes of Kolb's LSI. The Fisher's LSD multiple comparison test was run on all PEPS and LSI elements that were identified by the ANOVA as showing a significant difference between groups.

The summary of the PEPS data analysis indicated that four of the PEPS elements (Sound, Motivation, Persistent, and Responsible) are significantly lower for the "Dependent" decision-making group. None of the four LSI learning modes were shown to be significantly higher or lower for the "Dependent" decision-making group.

The results of the study suggest that any model of instructional/learning strategies designed for "Dependent" decision-makers should take into account the four PEPS elements of (a) Sound, (b) Motivation, (c) Persistent, and (d) Responsible. Instructional/learning strategies used to assist "Dependent" decision-makers should stress motivational factors such as a supportive learning environment. Special emphasis should be placed on ways to help "Dependent" decision-makers become more persistent and responsible about their own learning.