The effect on mundane decision‐making of the need and ability to achieve cognitive structure

Abstract

It is proposed that coping with conflictual decision‐making can be viewed as a special case of coping with uncertainty. It is further suggested that two factors determine coping with uncertainty: (1) the individuals‘ need for cognitive structure (NCS), and (2) the individuals’ ability to achieve cognitive structure (AACS). This paper demonstrates that the interaction between AACS and NCS may explain subjects' reaction to decisional conflict. The results show that high‐NCS and low‐AACS individuals experienced the greatest difficulties in their decision‐making and showed a positive correlation between the extent to which they perceived the conflict in the situation and the amount of time that they spent making the decision. In contrast, high‐AACS and high‐NCS subjects showed a negative correlation between these factors. In addition, these subjects experienced the least difficulty in the situation.