Decision Making Questionnaire

Please show how often each of the following applies to you by circling the number that you
think applies. 1=very infrequently or never, 2=infrequently, 3=quite infrequently, 4=quite
frequently, 5=frequently, 6=very frequently or always.

Very infrequently or Very frequently or

never always
1. Do you enjoy making decisions?
2. Do you rely on ‘gut feelings’ when making decisions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
3. Do you like to consult with others? 1 2 3 4 5 6
4. Do you stick by your decisions come what may? 1 2 3 4 5 6
5. When you find one option that will just about do, do you leave 1 2 3 4 5 6
it at that?
6. Do you remain calm when you have to make decisions very 1 2 3 4 5 6
quickly?
7. Do you feel in control of things? 1 2 3 4 5 6
8. How often are your decision governed by your ideals 1 2 3 4 5 6
regardless of practical difficulties?
9. Do you make decisions without considering all of the 1 2 3 4 5 6
implications?
10. Do you change your mind about things? 1 2 3 4 5 6
11. Do you take the safe option if there is one? 1 2 3 4 5 6
12. Do you prefer to avoid making decisions if you can? 1 2 3 4 5 6
13. Do you plan well ahead? 1 2 3 4 5 6
14. When making decisions do you find yourself favouring first 1 2 3 4 5 6
one option then another?
15. Do you carry on looking for something better even if you have 1 2 3 4 5 6
found a course of action that is just about OK?
16. Do you find it difficult to think clearly when you have to 1 2 3 4 5 6
decide something in a hurry?
17. Do you make up your own mind about things regardless of 1 2 3 4 5 6
what others think?
18. Do you avoid taking advice over decisions? 1 2 3 4 5 6
19. Do you work out all the pros and cons before making a 1 2 3 4 5 6
decision?
20. In your decision making how often are practicalities more 1 2 3 4 5 6
important than principles?
21. Is your decision making a deliberate logical process? 1 2 3 4 5 6

Scoring System
1. Score 'very infrequently'=1 to 'very frequently'=6 for items: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21.
2. Score 'very infrequently'=6 to 'very frequently'=1 for items: 3, 5, 9, 12, 16, 20.
3. Compute scale scores as follows:
Thoroughness=Q9+Q13+Q19+Q21
Control=Q1+Q6+Q7+Q12+Q16
Hesitancy=Q10+Q11+Q14
Social resistance=Q3+Q17+Q18
Optimising=Q5+Q15
Principled=Q8+Q20
Instinctiveness=Q2+Q4
Ergonomics. 1993 Jun;36(6):627-44

Decision-making style, driving style, and self-reported involvement in

road traffic accidents.

French DJ, West RJ, Elander J, Wilding JM.

Psychology Department, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of

London, UK.

In an exploratory postal survey of 711 drivers stratified by age, sex, annual mileage,
and accident involvement, decision-making style was measured using a Decision-
Making Questionnaire (DMQ) and driving style was assessed using a Driving Style
Questionnaire (DSQ). Responses to 21 items of the DMQ formed seven independent
and internally coherent dimensions according to a principal components (PC) analysis.
These were labelled: control, thoroughness, instinctiveness, social resistance,
hesitancy, perfectionism, and idealism. PC analysis also revealed that responses to 15
items of the DSQ formed six independent dimensions of driving style. These were
labelled: speed, calmness, social resistance, focus, planning, and deviance. Multiple
regression analysis indicated that drivers of 60 years and under who scored lower on
thoroughness were at greater risk of a traffic accident and that this relationship was
mediated by faster driving. This relationship was independent of age, sex, annual
mileage and all other factors measured. In the drivers over 60 years, lower
thoroughness, greater hesitancy, and faster driving were independently associated with
higher accident rates independent of all other factors measured. The results provide
preliminary support for the view that people import aspects of their general decision-
making style into the driving situation, and that in so doing they put themselves at
differential risk of having a road traffic accident.