Using aggregated data under time pressure: a mechanism for coping with information overload

ABSTRACT Decision makers are accustomed to using decision support systems to support decision making using summarized or aggregate data. Although aggregate data minimizes the amount of data a decision maker must examine, it may not provide all the details he/she would like to have. In addition, transforming aggregate data to disaggregate data can result in aggregation bias and greater variance in decision outcomes. Alternatively, providing a decision maker with highly detailed information may result in information overload and ineffective information processing. Earlier studies examining data aggregation have ignored the influence of limited time availability, a reality found in many organizations today. A laboratory experiment using a 2x2x2 factorial design was conducted to investigate the effects of time availability, information presentation and decision task strategy on decision-making performance. Results from the experiment indicate a main effect for each of the three factors and an interaction effect between information presentation and time availability.

[1]  Btjbsell L. Ackoft,et al.  MANAGEMENT MISINFORMATION SYSTEMS* , 2007 .

[2]  John W. Payne,et al.  Effort and Accuracy in Choice , 1985 .

[3]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Computer Based Decision Aids on Decision Making Strategies , 1991, Inf. Syst. Res..

[4]  Allen Newell,et al.  Human Problem Solving. , 1973 .

[5]  Roger H. L. Chiang,et al.  Big Data Research in Information Systems: Toward an Inclusive Research Agenda , 2016, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[6]  David V. Budescu,et al.  Encoding subjective probabilities: A psychological and psychometric review , 1983 .

[7]  Eugene Y. Chan,et al.  Time pressure reverses risk preferences , 2015 .

[8]  John W. Payne,et al.  Task complexity and contingent processing in decision making: An information search and protocol analysis☆ , 1976 .

[9]  P. Todd,et al.  Can There Ever Be Too Many Options? A Meta-Analytic Review of Choice Overload , 2010 .

[10]  K. Mosier,et al.  Human Decision Makers and Automated Decision Aids: Made for Each Other? , 1996 .

[11]  Morgan Swink,et al.  Presenting Geographic Information: Effects of Data Aggregation, Dispersion, and Users' Spatial Orientation , 1999 .

[12]  Morag Irvine Stewart.  Information overload in multicriteria decisions : an investigation of a load-reduction strategy , 1988 .

[13]  A. Abdel-khalik,et al.  The Effect of Aggregating Accounting Reports on the Quality of the Lending Decision: An Empirical Investigation , 1973 .

[14]  James Shanteau,et al.  Concepts in judgement and decision research: Definitions, sources, interrelations, comments , 1981 .

[15]  Herbert A. Simon,et al.  Information-processing models of cognition , 1981, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[16]  B. Love,et al.  Fast or Frugal, but Not Both: Decision Heuristics Under Time Pressure , 2017, Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition.

[17]  Reijo Savolainen,et al.  Filtering and withdrawing: strategies for coping with information overload in everyday contexts , 2007, J. Inf. Sci..

[18]  R. Perry,et al.  A Methodological Study of Overloadx. , 1977, The Journal of general psychology.

[19]  Na Wen,et al.  Simple Decision Aids and Consumer Decision Making , 2014 .

[20]  Norman L. Chervany,et al.  An Experimental Evaluation of Information Overload in a Production Environment , 1974 .

[21]  Peter Wright.  The harassed decision maker: Time pressures, distractions, and the use of evidence. , 1974 .

[22]  Sammy W. Pearson,et al.  Development of a Tool for Measuring and Analyzing Computer User Satisfaction , 1983 .

[23]  Jyrki Wallenius,et al.  Context matters: The impact of product type, emotional attachment and information overload on choice quality , 2018, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[24]  Jaime B. Windeler,et al.  Quality and Efficiency of the Clinical Decision‐Making Process: Information Overload and Emphasis Framing , 2018 .

[25]  G. A. Miller.  THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW THE MAGICAL NUMBER SEVEN, PLUS OR MINUS TWO: SOME LIMITS ON OUR CAPACITY FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION 1 , 1956 .

[26]  Russell M. Barefield.  The Effect of Aggregation on Decision Making Success: A Laboratory Study , 1972 .

[27]  M. Janssen,et al.  Factors influencing big data decision-making quality , 2017 .

[28]  Andrew T. Collins,et al.  The Influence of Varying Information Load on Inferred Attribute Non-Attendance , 2015 .

[29]  Daniel J. Power,et al.  Data science: supporting decision-making , 2016, J. Decis. Syst..

[30]  Howard Carter,et al.  Foundations of Decision Support Systems , 1982 .

[31]  Vibhanshu Abhishek,et al.  Aggregation Bias in Sponsored Search Data: The Curse and the Cure , 2015, Mark. Sci..

[32]  Diana L. Young,et al.  Decision making under time pressure, modeled in a prospect theory framework. , 2012, Organizational behavior and human decision processes.

[33]  Laura Frances Bright,et al.  Too much Facebook? An exploratory examination of social media fatigue , 2015, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[34]  M. Pretorius,et al.  Investigating managerial practices for data and information overload in decision making , 2016 .

[35]  Hussein Issa,et al.  Behavioral Implications of Big Data's Impact on Audit Judgment and Decision Making and Future Research Directions , 2015 .

[36]  D. Levitin.  The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload , 2014 .

[37]  H. J. Einhorn.  Use of nonlinear, noncompensatory models as a function of task and amount of information , 1971 .

[38]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  Value and Events Approaches to Accounting: An Experimental Evaluation , 2016 .

[39]  Michael Mackert,et al.  Sharing Health Information and Influencing Behavioral Intentions: The Role of Health Literacy, Information Overload, and the Internet in the Diffusion of Healthy Heart Information , 2016, Health communication.

[40]  Linda H. Slowik,et al.  The experience of work stress and the context of time , 2017 .

[41]  Stephen C. Hayne,et al.  Decision Making under Time Pressure , 1997 .

[42]  Kyung Kyu Kim,et al.  Information and communication technology overload and social networking service fatigue: A stress perspective , 2016, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[43]  P. Kline.  Models of man , 1986, Nature.

[44]  B. Scheibehenne,et al.  Less may be more when choosing is difficult: choice complexity and too much choice. , 2010, Acta psychologica.

[45]  S. Streufert,et al.  Effects of information relevance on decision making in complex environments , 1973, Memory & cognition.

[46]  Gary J. Cook,et al.  An Empirical Investigation of Information Search Strategies with Implications for Decision Support System Design , 1993 .

[47]  Sandra Ohly,et al.  Time Pressure Promotes Work Engagement Test of Illegitimate Tasks as Boundary Condition , 2015 .

[48]  Jean C. Bedard,et al.  The Effects of Task Size and Similarity on the Decision Behavior of Bank Loan Officers , 1985 .

[49]  Paul R. Havig,et al.  A human cognition framework for information visualization , 2014, Comput. Graph..

[50]  H. Simon,et al.  Models of Man. , 1957 .

[51]  William C. Perkins,et al.  A Simulation of Partial Information Use in Decision Making: Implications for DSS Design , 1998 .

[52]  Robert W. Proctor,et al.  Human factors in simple and complex systems , 1993 .

[53]  Monideepa Tarafdar,et al.  Impact of Technostress on End-User Satisfaction and Performance , 2010, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[54]  M. Urgo,et al.  Project Scheduling for Aggregate Production Scheduling in Make-to-Order Environments , 2015 .

[55]  Eric J. Johnson,et al.  A componential analysis of cognitive effort in choice , 1990 .

[56]  Itzhak Benenson,et al.  GIS-based method for assessing city parking patterns , 2015 .

[57]  Eric J. Johnson,et al.  Adaptive Strategy Selection in Decision Making. , 1988 .

[58]  Lawrence A. Gordon,et al.  Information overload: A temporal approach☆ , 1990 .

[59]  Bo Sophia Xiao,et al.  Do actions speak louder than voices? The signaling role of social information cues in influencing consumer purchase decisions , 2014, Decis. Support Syst..