The role of executive functions and risk-taking in predicting decision- making styles in university students

‌Introduction: Decision-making and the consequences play a key role in the quality of an individual's life, to an extent that it can be asserted that human life is the collective outcome of one's choices and decisions. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the predictive role of the brain's executive functions and risk-taking in the decision-making styles of students. Method: The research method is a description of the correlation. The statistical population included all students of IAUKSH during the 2019-2020 academic year. Among these students, 240 (male and female) individuals were selected via multi-stage cluster sampling. To collect data, questionnaires of decision-making styles (Scott and Bruce, 1995), rescue executive functions (2013), and risk-taking (Ahmad Pourdariani, 2010) were employed. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and systematic regression using SPSS 21 software. Results: The results revealed that flexibility, programming, memory, and social cognition have the ability to positively and significantly predict students' logical decision-making style (P<0.005). Among the components of executive functions, only social cognition was a positive and significant predictor of intuitive decision-making style (P<0.0001). Dependent, immediate, and avoidant decision-making styles had a negative and significant correlation with executive functions. Risk-taking only had the potential to positively and significantly predict students' immediate decision-making style (P<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that different combinations of components of executive functions predict each of the decision-making styles. The basis for this can be considered as different cognitive or emotional processes involved in decision-making.