The Use of Information in Decision Making: An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Computer-Based Decision Aids.

Author List: Todd, Peter; Benbasat, Izak;
MIS Quarterly, 1992, Volume 16, Issue 3, Page 373-393.
The traditional assumption in the decision support systems (DSS) literature is that if decision makers are provided with expanded processing capabilities they will use them to analyze problems in more depth and, as a result, make better decisions. Empirical studies investigating the relationship between DSS and decision quality have not borne this out. The explanation for such outcomes could be found in behavioral decision-making theories. The literature on behavioral decision making indicates that the conservation of effort may be more important than increased decision quality in some cases. If this is so, then the use of a decision aid may result in effort savings but not improved decision performance. The two experiments reported here use verbal protocol analysis to compare the extent of information use by unaided decision makers and users of a decision aid designed to support preferential choice problems. The results of the two studies indicate that subjects with a decision aid did not use more information than those without one. Overall, subjects behaved as if effort minimization was an important consideration. For DSS researchers these studies indicate that to understand the DSS-decision quality relationship, it is necessary to consider the decision maker's tradeoff between improving decision quality and conserving effort. For DSS designers these results imply a need to focus on the moderating role that effort will play in determining DSS effectiveness.
Keywords: cognitive cost-benefit theory; Decision support systems
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#8 0.324 decision making decisions decision-making makers use quality improve performance managers process better results time managerial task significantly help indicate maker
#113 0.158 support decision dss systems guidance process making environments decisional users features capabilities provide decision-making user paper findings systems.decision components computer-based
#161 0.081 role relationship positively light important understanding related moderating frequency intensity play stronger shed contribution past considered maintenance effort effect specifically
#227 0.081 commitment need practitioners studies potential role consider difficult models result importance influence researchers established conduct investigated establishing appear clearly determining
#174 0.068 use support information effective behaviors work usage examine extent users expertise uses longitudinal focus routine revealed volume constructs contributes operations
#102 0.061 choice type functions nature paper literature particular implications function examine specific choices extent theoretical design discussion value widely finally adopted
#9 0.051 using subjects results study experiment did conducted task time used experienced use preference experimental presented decision-making empirical significantly effects better
#75 0.050 behavior behaviors behavioral study individuals affect model outcomes psychological individual responses negative influence explain hypotheses expected theories consequences impact theory