Teaching Decision Making To Adolescents

This book describes a variety of programs -- firmly based in psychological theory and modern decision analysis -- that are suitable for teaching adolescents how to improve both their own decision making skills and their understanding of the decision making of others. Providing practical advice as well as theoretical analysis, this volume addresses general questions such as the nature and rationale of the enterprise, its implementation, and its evaluation. Relevant to several current adolescent problems including drug abuse, this is an excellent source, either as research, new curriculum, or enrichment of old curriculum.

Abstract: This report, prepared for the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, examines programs developed to teach decision making to adolescents. The authors begin with an introduction to the decision making process and principles behind training for decision making. Included are normative and descriptive principles. Next, the authors review specific programs based on curriculum manipulations, behavioral measures, and methodological issues. Curricula on decision making, general thinking skills, life skills, and social skills are evaluated.

Includes CD-Rom ′Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile..teachers, parents and carers worry that the decisions that children and young people make might be unwise or dangerous′ - Bertrand Russell ′You′d be hard pushed to find a better decision-making programme than this excellent set of books... This series will undoubtedly kick-start conversation, prod thinking and stimulate classroom debate′ - Times Educational Supplement Magazine Decision making is a skill involving both a cognitive and an affective process. The ability to: - recognize the thoughts and feelings; - consider the consequences; - choose the best outcome; is a highly valued facility leading to resilience, achievement and responsibility. The skill can be taught and in these three volumes the authors provide all the materials needed to teach a course on decision making at each age level. The programme provides a menu of stories related to the real life experiences of the young people. Topics are selected to be age appropriate and the series includes: - Stealing; - Lying; - Social behaviours; - Risks; - Justice; - Loss, Grief and Bereavement; - Prejudice; - First love; - Disability; - Leaving home; - Family relationships. The teacher notes indicate ′stopping points′ where reflection and discussion is encouraged. A choice of endings is offered or the young people can develop their own ideas about what might happen next. The course can be introduced at any age or used to develop the skills through school life from early years to the teens. Other books in the series include Margaret Collins′s First Choices and Phil Carradice′s Good Choices.

Interest in the role that decision making plays in adolescents' involvement in high-risk behaviors led the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to request the Board on Children, Youth, and Families to convene a workshop on adolescent decision making. The Board on Children, Youth, and Families is a joint activity of the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine. A workshop was held on January 6-7, 1998, to examine what is known about adolescents' decision-making skills and the implications of that knowledge for programs to further their healthy development.

The contributors reveal new findings about the basic mechanisms underlying brain development, with particular reference to mathematical reasoning as well as to decision-making in a variety of situations.

Early adolescence is a time when students require adult assistance to become accurate and effective decision makers and problem solvers. Because of the fragmented nature of society, the family structure, and the schooling process, schools need to establish a nonthreatening environment in which students can discuss the issues related to growing up. A decision-making course in the middle school can become that program. Results of the first six years of the decision-making course at Elm Place Middle School in Highland Park, Illinois, are described, illustrating a definite positive response on the part of all students. The logistics for designing and implementing such a program in the middle school are discussed. Teaching strategies, projects, and activities are outlined. Sample activities are appended along with sample communications to parents and students. (JD)

In recent years, newspaper articles, television specials, and other media events have focused on the numerous hard decisions faced by today's youth, often pointing to teen pregnancy, drug use, and delinquency as evidence of faulty judgment. Over the past 10 years, many groups - including parents, educators, policymakers, and researchers - have become concerned about the decision-making abilities of children and adolescents, asking why they make risky choices, how they can be taught to be better decision makers, and what types of age-related changes occur in decision making. This book serves as a starting point for those interested in considering new ways of thinking about the development of these issues. The purpose is to bring together the voices of several authors who are conducting cutting-edge research and developing new theoretical perspectives related to the development of judgment and decision making. The Development of Judgment and Decision Making in Children and Adolescents is divided into three parts: Part I presents three distinctive developmental models that offer different explanations of "what develops" and the relative importance of different cognitive components and experiential components that may be important for developing judgment and decision making skills. Part II emphasizes the emotional, cultural, and social aspects of decision making--three topics that have been influential in the adult literature on judgment and decision making but are just beginning to be explored in the developmental area. Part III provides three examples of research that applies developmental and decision making models to practical research questions. This book is intended for the professional market or for graduate courses on decision making or cognitive or social development.

It's Your Decision for Teens! Fact: Teenage years are a kind of bridge between being a child and becoming an adult. Fact: The better teenagers become at making decisions, the more likely they are to have a more satisfying adult life. Fact: The more effort a teenager puts into making good academic and career decisions, the brighter their future will be. It's Your Decision for Teens will help you to make decisions the right way by helping you understand the decision-making process. You'll learn practical, commonsense approaches to help you make good initial decisions regarding your education and the field of study you choose, the best career choices for you, your relationships, the living and work environments you'll spend time in, the quality of your health and wellness, and how you choose to spend your free time. As a teenager the choices you begin making in these big-ticket areas will have the greatest impact on the overall quality of your life. The decisions that matter most are the ones you make from now on. You'll need to be especially careful to make the right choices that will have the greatest impact on your life as an adult. Making better decisions will give you a great deal of satisfaction. Learn how to make your own decisions and you will be more satisfied and confident in the choices you make. Accept responsibility for making the academic, career, and personal decisions that lie ahead. Someday when you look back on your life, you'll be glad you made the effort as a teenager to make the right choices that produced favorable results. You'll have the confidence to respond to the question, "What kind of life did you have?" with "I had a great life!" SPECIAL NOTE: Secondary schools, colleges, and other non-profit organizations can purchase It's Your Decision for Teens at a special rate of $6.88 which is a 45% discount off of the retail price for orders of 20 copies or more. To order quantities of books call 1-800-288-4677, ext. 5040 and request the non-profit rate.