IMPACT OF CRITICAL THINKING ON DECISION-MAKING AMONG ADULTS; MEDIATING EFFECT OF COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY

Abstract

The current study looks at how critical thinking affects the decision-making skills of adults, with special attention given to cognitive flexibility. The ability to analyze, evaluate and integrate ideas comes from having good critical thinking skills and helps people make better decisions. This research was quantitative correlation survey design and sample of current study was 200 adults aged between 20-39. In this study sample of 200 students was collected from different universities and colleges in Punjab. Participants completed the critical thinking scale (CTS), General Decision-Making Style Questionnaire (GDMSQ), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI). Data were analyzed in SSPS-21 and Hayes process macro, by running correlation and regression tests. The findings revealed that critical thinking was found to be positively associated with both decision making and cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility did not have significant effect on decision making that it does not play a meaningful role in shaping how decision is made. This indicate that individual with higher level of critical thinking tend to make better decision making and suggested that individual who think critically are more cognitive flexible

Keywords  Critical Thinking - Decision Making - Cognitive Flexibility