. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Apr 12.

Published in final edited form as: Clin Gerontol. 2007 Mar 3;31(3):37–66. doi: 10.1080/07317110802072140

Table 3.

Mean (± SD) Ratings on Decision Making Preferences and Influences

Item	Dementia	Schizophrenia	Comparison	F
Preference for decision making by doctor^a	2.15 (0.88)	1.85 (0.93)	2.02 (0.60)	0.70
Preference for decision making by family^a	1.40 (0.88)	1.53 (1.31)	1.75 (0.44)	0.71
Influence of religious or spiritual beliefs on healthcare decisions ^a	1.35 (1.42)	2.10 (1.48)	1.70 (1.49)	1.31
Importance of quality of life (versus length)^b	6.36 (1.50)	5.56 (2.01)	7.05 (1.15)	4.23
				^*
Desire for medical intervention to prolong life^b	3.94 (2.21)	4.05 (1.51)	3.33 (2.22)	0.67

Higher scores indicate higher preference for input from doctor, family, or religion, range 0–4.

Combined score on two items, total range 0–8.

p < .05