THE ROLE OF CONTEXTUAL VARIABLES IN EVALUATION DECISION-MAKING: EFFECTS OF PERCEPTIONS OF POTENTIAL LOSS, TIME AND SELF-EFFICACY ON NURSE MANAGERS' NEED FOR INFORMATION.
Contributors: State University of New York at Albany.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 131
Subjects: Education, General.; Psychology, Personality.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The theoretical framework for this experimental study was provided by Janis and Mann's (1977) conflict decision-making model and by social learning theory (Bandura, 1977a). The study examined the interactions of perceptions of potential loss, time and the self efficacy of the nurse manager on the need for information in an evaluation decision. The sample consisted of 259 community health nurse managers from governmental, voluntary, hospital-based and proprietary home health agencies in New York State.

Data analysis included a series of 2 x 2 x 2 analyses of variance. Independent variables included perceptions of potential loss (high and low), time (adequate and inadequate) and self efficacy (high and low). Dependent variables included need for information about the program, need to talk to others, procrastination and decision readiness.

There was a significant three way interaction among perceptions of potential loss, time, and self efficacy on need for information regarding the program. The interaction was disordinal; nurse managers with high self efficacy needed less information in situations of high potential loss and inadequate time, while nurse managers with low self efficacy needed more information in situations of high potential loss regardless of time. This finding suggests a possible need to modify the conflict model of decision-making as it pertains to program evaluation settings.

There was a two way interaction for perceptions of potential loss and self efficacy on need for program information and the need to talk to others. Nurse managers with low self efficacy needed more program information and needed more to talk to others than did nurse managers with high self efficacy. There was a main effect for self efficacy on procrastination and decision readiness. Nurse managers with high self efficacy agreed more that there was enough time and sufficient information to make a decision.

Implications of this research deal with the importance of contextual variables on decision makers' need for information and the need for continued research on evaluation in the health field.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-06, Section: A, page: 1489.

Thesis (ED.D.)--STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY, 1989.

School code: 0668.