Brotherton, H. B., & Orr, M. K. (2023, June), The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors  Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44482

\bibitem{asee_peer_44482}
  Brotherton, H. B., \& Orr, M. K. (2023, June), \emph{The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors}
  Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland.
  10.18260/1-2--44482

Haleh Barmaki Brotherton and Marisa K. Orr.  "The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors".  2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland, 2023, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2023.  https://peer.asee.org/44482 Internet.  14 Mar, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_44482}
  Haleh Barmaki Brotherton and Marisa K. Orr.
  "The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors".
  \emph{2023 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland, 2023, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2023.
  https://peer.asee.org/44482 Internet.  14 Mar, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_44482
author = "Haleh Barmaki Brotherton and Marisa K. Orr"
title = "The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors"
booktitle = "2023 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2023"
month = "June"
address = "Baltimore , Maryland"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/44482}
number = {10.18260/1-2--44482}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors

This research paper focuses on the decision-making processes of undergraduate students in engineering.  We explore how Information Gathering behaviors relate to students’ academic satisfaction with their engineering major.
The Self-Regulation Model of Decision-Making (SRMDM) encompasses three phases of Generation, Evaluation, and Learning, each influenced by Moderating Factors.  Our focus is on Information Gathering, which happens as a decision-maker iterates between generating ideas and evaluating them. We hypothesize that self-regulated decision-making behaviors will lead a student to be more satisfied with their Engineering major choice. A competing theory  is the theory of Maximizing Tendency where the maximizer decision-maker seeks to find the best option among available information that results in being less happy compared to satisficers who just look for ‘good-enough’ options. This research questions the association between Information Gathering and Satisfaction in Engineering.
The sample for this study is 724 primarily first-year students in Engineering at Clemson University. Measures used include a five-item Information Gathering scale from the Multi-dimensional Inventory of Decision-making Competency (MIDC) and a five-item Academic Satisfaction scale adapted for Engineering.  This finding provides support for the SRMDM-based hypothesis that Information Gathering behavior may lead to increased Satisfaction in Engineering, so advisors/institutions are encouraged to support this process.


AU  - Haleh Barmaki Brotherton
AU  - Marisa K. Orr
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Role of Information-Gathering on Students’ Satisfaction in Engineering Majors
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44482
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44482
ER  -