Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment
The present study aimed to investigate the role of executive functions in predicting rational decision-making among adolescents, considering the mediating role of emotional intelligence and moral judgment. Rational decision-making, as one of the key processes of cognitive development in adolescence, plays a crucial role in personal, social, and academic adjustment. Given that adolescence is accompanied by extensive biological, cognitive, and emotional changes, identifying underlying factors influencing rational decision-making is of particular importance. This study employed a quantitative, correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of lower secondary school students in Yazd during the 2024–2025 academic year, from which a sample was selected through cluster random sampling. Research instruments included the General Decision-Making Styles Questionnaire (GDMS), the Cognitive Functions Questionnaire, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Short Form (TEIQue-SF), and the Moral Judgment Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using AMOS-24 software. Findings indicated that executive functions directly predicted rational decision-making (β=0.17, P<0.05). Furthermore, emotional intelligence and moral judgment significantly mediated this relationship (β=0.308, P<0.002). In other words, adolescents with higher executive functions also demonstrated higher levels of emotional intelligence and moral judgment, which in turn contributed to the enhancement of their rational decision-making. The results highlight the importance of an integrated approach to cognitive, emotional, and moral processes in understanding adolescent decision-making and may provide a basis for designing educational and counseling interventions aimed at improving adolescents’ decision-making skills.
Sheivandi Cholicheh, K. , Zanganeh, M. and ّFallah, M. J. (2025). Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment. Clinical Psychology Studies, 16(59), -. doi: 10.22054/jcps.2026.88379.3285
MLA
Sheivandi Cholicheh, K. , , Zanganeh, M. , and ّFallah, M. J. . "Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment", Clinical Psychology Studies, 16, 59, 2025, -. doi: 10.22054/jcps.2026.88379.3285
HARVARD
Sheivandi Cholicheh, K., Zanganeh, M., ّFallah, M. J. (2025). 'Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment', Clinical Psychology Studies, 16(59), pp. -. doi: 10.22054/jcps.2026.88379.3285
CHICAGO
K. Sheivandi Cholicheh , M. Zanganeh and M. J. ّFallah, "Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment," Clinical Psychology Studies, 16 59 (2025): -, doi: 10.22054/jcps.2026.88379.3285
VANCOUVER
Sheivandi Cholicheh, K., Zanganeh, M., ّFallah, M. J. Modeling Rational Decision-Making Based on Adolescents’ Executive Functions and Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Moral Judgment. Clinical Psychology Studies, 2025; 16(59): -. doi: 10.22054/jcps.2026.88379.3285
)