AN EMPIRICAL-INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF DECISION AIDS ON PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESSES

Despite the growing number of investigations examining decision support system (DDS), relatively few empirical studies have evaluated the effects of DDS on problem-solving processes. This study uses protocol analysis to investigate the impact of a specific decision aid on problem-solving processes in a semi-structured problem. Results indicate that decision aids influence the problem-solving of decision makers. The effect of a decision aid is found to be contingent on familiarity with the decision aid, task familiarity, and the interaction of these two factors. Suggestions for incorporating interaction effects and problem-solving processes into future examinations are proposed.