A study from The Ohio State University revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected college students’ decision-making skills. Due to the stress of the pandemic, students displayed less consistency in their decision-making abilities during the Fall 2020 semester compared to those from previous years. The research indicated that students were more likely to oscillate between intuitive and analytical thinking depending on how scenarios were framed, suggesting that the overwhelming stress diminished their cognitive resources, hampering their ability to evaluate information effectively.
The study, led by psychologist Melissa Buelow, found significant differences in how students reacted to ethical scenarios framed as gains or losses, with inconsistent responses reflecting cognitive distortions linked to pandemic-related stressors. Despite these inconsistencies, students maintained confidence in their decisions regarding accuracy-based questions, raising concerns about their risk perception. The researchers also assessed an additional group in Spring 2022, finding ongoing inconsistencies, even after some pandemic restrictions were lifted. This research highlights the long-lasting cognitive effects of global stressors like COVID-19 on decision-making, suggesting that situational factors significantly influence students’ abilities to make sound decisions. Further data collection is ongoing to explore the trajectory of decision-making skills post-pandemic.
