DECISION MAKING BY CLIENTS PLANNING FOR CONTINUING HEALTH CARE.
Contributors: Case Western Reserve University.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 162
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Research findings indicate that when individuals make decisions involving their own vital interests, they enter into decisional conflict that causes a psychological stress that may affect the quality of their decision-making behaviors. According to Janis and Mann (1977), the most effective way to evaluate the quality of decision-making behaviors is to measure the quality of an individual's decision-making procedures. Quality decision-making procedures have been operationalized by Janis and Mann as seven criteria that characterize an individual as using "vigilant information processing". Janis and Mann (1977) designed a theoretical model that focuses on variables that lead to vigilant information processing.

The purpose of this study is to extend knowledge in nursing by placing the Janis and Mann (1977) Conflict Model of Decision Making within a nursing perspective. The research question is: How do clients' awareness of: (1) freedom of choice; (2) seriousness of risk; (3) hopefulness that a satisfactory alternative exists; and (4) adequacy of time available to search and deliberate, affect their ability to enter into vigilant information processing when planning for continuing health care.

The design of the study is a retrospective correlational survey using a structured interview with a cross-sectional sample. The power of the study was set at .80, effect size at .30, and level of significance at .05. The purposive sample consisted of 85 subjects with skilled health needs planning to receive either home care or to be transferred to a nursing care facility.

A causal model framework was developed and path analysis was used to measure the magnitude of the relationships among variables. The model was tested using a Decision-making Questionnaire developed by the investigator. Seven of nine hypotheses were supported. The findings in this study indicated that the theoretical formulations of the Conflict Model of Decision Making by Janis and Mann (1977) were partially supported. The findings were congruent with the Janis and Mann (1977) model in that the variables of hope and time were causally related to vigilant information processing and that choice indirectly relates to vigilant information processing through hope and time. The findings were incongruent with the Janis and Mann (1977) model in that risk had no explained relationship to vigilant information processing.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-12, Section: B, page: 4185.

Thesis (PH.D.)--CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, 1985.

School code: 0042.