The effects of feedback and method of eliciting subjective weights on the decision process

[摘要] A widely accepted finding in the area of decision research is that decision makers are not aware of how they make decisions. The present study re-evaluates this conclusion from two methodological perspectives: (1) the data analysis techniques used in decision research and (2) the methods used to elicit decision makers' descriptions of their decision process. The paper cites evidence suggesting that the results of previous studies which conclude that decision makers are not aware of their decision strategies are highly dependent upon the data analysis techniques employed. Also, the results of the present study demonstrate that eliciting subjective weights using slope related questions produce more accurate decision models than eliciting subjective weights using the traditional 1 points method. The present study also investigates the effect that process feedback has on decreasing the discrepancy between decision makers' subjective and statistical decision strategies. It was found that process feedback had a negative effect on the accuracy of decision makers' descriptions of their decision strategies. An explanation for this finding is presented as well as recommendations for future research.

[发布机构] Rice University