Diverse Information-Gathering Methods in the Postsecondary Decision-Making Process

This study examined the techniques high school students used to gather information about postsecondary education and institutions. The researchers designated students as “highly diversified” or “less diversified” searchers and identified background characteristics and information-gathering behaviors using factor analysis and discriminant analysis. High diversification was significantly related to, among other things, student certainty about proposed academic major and satisfaction with the student’s chosen postsecondary institution.