Where’s The Logic In Being Illogical? Explain how/why research topic. For personal reasons but became a valuable tool in advising students who consistently were making choices that seemed to be at odds with their goals. Tamie Saffell, M.A. Western Oregon University NACADA Region 8 Conference, Anchorage, AK April 29-May 1

Presentation Overview Discuss choices our students are making Introduce Schwartz’s theory on how we make decisions Case study using the decision making theory The “Wise Choice Process” Questions

As we start, think about this question: What are some of the choices your students make each day?

What are some of the choices students make instead of Studying? Why do you think they choose to not study? Let’s look at how we make choices.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the choices you make on a daily basis. (Skip Downing, On Course) As this quote states, choice is important! Who doesn’t want to have a quality life? Why do we sometimes make choices that are counterproductive to what we want? Answering this question for my personal life lead me to a book on making choices called The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz. Schwartz is a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College. His book is about how consumers make choices and builds off of the research of several other people who research the decision making process. Namely the works of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. As I explored the topic of making choices, I found that I was already using the model Schwartz describes for making choices with students who were in our Academic Success and Learning Seminar classes. Over the next few terms I explored how the information from Schwartz’s book intersected with the information I was covering in my classes. My goal was to discover how I could come up with better questions to ask my students in advising appointments about the choices they made that were not leading to the quality choices that lead to the quality life they sought.

A Tale of Two Books The Paradox of Choice: How More is Less by Barry Schwartz (2004) On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. Study Skills Plus Edition by Skip Downing (2011) As I began combining the information from Schwartz’ book on The Paradox of Choice and On Course by Skip Downing , I found the frame work of information provided by Schwartz supplemented the “Wise Choice Process” presented by Downing . By the way are any of you familiar with On Course? Our office uses On Course with students on Academic Warning, probation and suspension. I will introduce you to the Wise Choice Process later on. As I combined the information from both books, I found my conversations with students about their choices became more focused. My goal today is to share with you how these two books have had an impact on the questions I ask students about the choices they are making. So with an emphasis on making choices, let’s go back to the question I asked at the beginning of the presentation?

What are some of the choices your students make each day? Discussion of choices. Now let’s look at one choice that can appear obvious but that trips up a lot of our students—spending time studying.

Elements of Choice A choice begins with the question: What do I want?

Continues with an internal dialogue

Purpose of dialogue: Accurately anticipate how the choice will make us feel

Choice is based on: Remembered utility: how we view the past experience Expected utility: based on our past experience and anticipation Experienced utility: the actual event and how it makes you feel So let’s look at what we have discussed so far in relation to our studying choice. For students who are not studying, they often remember studying as being long sessions that are not very pleasant that do not produce the grades they expect. How many times have you seen a student after mid-terms and asked them how they went and they answer—fine. I felt good. Then when the grades come back—fine or good is really a D or an F. So there is a disconnect between what they get from what they remember about studying that helps reinforce the idea that studying isn’t a good thing. They remember the experience as not good and they expect the experience to not be good as well. This makes it difficult to make this choice. One thing I have started doing is asking my students to explain how they study and how they feel about studying. This let’s me get a sense of whether to address their remembered experience. The student and I can then work to create a better study plan and recreate the remembered experience. Let’s move on to the next aspect of decision making the peak-end rule. This explains a little bit more about why remembered experience can be such a powerful influence on our choices.

Peak—End Rule Remembered experience is based on: Feelings at peak of experience—good/bad Feelings at the end of the experience Summary of the two events Going back to our example of studying. I began to realize that some of my students where choosing to not study becauseo f their remembered experiences. They remembered feeling bummed out, tired, exhausted because they were cramming. Even at the peak of the experience they were often studying topics that they didn’t like because they were taking a gen ed course that they didn’t like.

Loss Aversion We don’t like to give up or lose something So when students choose not to study it is often because they perceive they are giving up something. This could be spending time with friends, watching movies, playing video games, or being involved on campus. Helping my students reframe their experience by helping them see where the true loss lies. They are losing money, their future if they are receiving financial aid and so forth.

The Wise Choice Process What’s my present situation? How would I like my situation to be? What are my possible choices? What’s the likely outcome of each possible choice Which choice(s) will I commit to doing? When and how will I evaluate my plan? I’d like to have you try using the Wise Choice Process. You should have received a copy of it in your handouts. I want you to take a few minutes to think of a challenge you are having with a choice and work through the process with a neighbor. Take just a moment to think of your challenge and then pick a partner to work with. Choose which one of you wants to share and then the other asks the questions.

Recap Find the illogical choice Determine remembered utility Discover what the student feels s/he is giving up Help student reframe Use the Wise Choice Process as a frame work for the discussion

Questions?

References Downing, S. (2011). On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. MA: Wadsworth-Cengage Learning. Schwartz, B. (2004). The Paradox of Choice: Why more is Less. New York: ECCO. Image: 'Lonely in golden place!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/51813223@N00/2258984128 Found on flickrcc.net So when students choose not to study it is often because they perceive they are giving up something. This could be spending time with friends, watching movies, playing video games, or being involved on campus. Helping my students reframe their experience by helping them see where the true loss lies. They are losing money, their future if they are receiving financial aid and so forth.