Doctoral Dissertation Research: Building and Testing Models of Decision Making in Plural System Contexts

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

University of Hawai'i doctoral student Ashley Vaughan, supervised by Dr. Geoffrey White, will undertake research on the dynamics of decision-making processes in social contexts where both western and non-western alternatives are available. The aim is to elucidate both local and scientific approaches to decision-making by building multivariate, statistical and ethnographic decision tree models. The overarching question of the research is how do people make treatment choices when there are multiple medical systems and options? Vaughan will focus her research on decisions related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malarial infection in the Republic of Vanuatu. Vanuatu is an especially appropriate site for decision making research because it long has high rates of malaria, and it has experienced a national movement to protect and revive traditional knowledge and ways of life, including healing traditions. Preliminary research has shown that Vanuatu residents frequently combine biomedical, traditional, and religious treatments. The researcher will examine behavior using two kinds of models: ethnographic decision modes and multivariate socio-behavioral models. Data will be collected through participant observation, semi-structured and structured interviews, cognitive methods (pile sorts, consensus modeling), and surveys to identify political, economic, and socio-cultural factors influencing treatment selection. The research is important because it will contribute to social science theory and the development of new ways of combining ethnographic decision models with multivariate statistical models. Findings from the research will be useful for policy makers concerned with the persistence of malaria in Vanuatu, despite multiple public health interventions. Funding this research also supports the education of a graduate student.