TY - CPAPER AB - This paper explores the role that psychological variables might have in analysing farmer decision making. The results presented relate to a survey of 256 arable and hill farmers in SE Scotland. The survey investigated the objectives and stress levels of those surveyed. The major objectives of those surveyed were primarily concerned with improving the quality of land, the environment, and their way of life. Levels of stress were found to be consistent with the total UK population with 10% showing high stress levels. The paper also explores the levels of innovativeness and intelligence, and relates these to farm business and other psychological variables. Innovative farmers were found to be lower on neuroticism and less stressed, and more extraverted. They were also found to be risk minimisers, had larger farms, more experience and were more likely to possess a computer. Farmers with high intelligence scores were generally more conscientious and open to new ideas, kept records, set targets, used new technology and managed for maximum profit. AU - McGregor, Murray AU - Willock, Joyce AU - Dent, Barry AU - Deary, Ian AU - Sutherland, Alister AU - Gibson, Gavin AU - Morgan, Olly AU - Grieve, Bob DA - 1995 DA - 1995 DO - 10.22004/ag.econ.346321 DO - doi EP - 166 EP - 153 ID - 346321 KW - Farm Management L1 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/346321/files/IFMA10_048.pdf L2 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/346321/files/IFMA10_048.pdf L4 - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/346321/files/IFMA10_048.pdf LA - eng LA - English LK - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/346321/files/IFMA10_048.pdf N1 - Tenth International Farm Management Congress, The University of Reading, UK, July 10-15, 1995 N2 - This paper explores the role that psychological variables might have in analysing farmer decision making. The results presented relate to a survey of 256 arable and hill farmers in SE Scotland. The survey investigated the objectives and stress levels of those surveyed. The major objectives of those surveyed were primarily concerned with improving the quality of land, the environment, and their way of life. Levels of stress were found to be consistent with the total UK population with 10% showing high stress levels. The paper also explores the levels of innovativeness and intelligence, and relates these to farm business and other psychological variables. Innovative farmers were found to be lower on neuroticism and less stressed, and more extraverted. They were also found to be risk minimisers, had larger farms, more experience and were more likely to possess a computer. Farmers with high intelligence scores were generally more conscientious and open to new ideas, kept records, set targets, used new technology and managed for maximum profit. PY - 1995 PY - 1995 SP - 153 T1 - Edinburgh Study of Decision Making on Farms: Links Between Psychological Factors and Farmers' Decision Making TI - Edinburgh Study of Decision Making on Farms: Links Between Psychological Factors and Farmers' Decision Making UR - https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/346321/files/IFMA10_048.pdf Y1 - 1995 T2 - IFMA10 ER -