The effects of decision aid bias and fixation on user performance.

摘要

Computerized decision aids have been shown to possess the potential to increase decision performance and learning of users. While aided users display performance superior to un-aided users, this performance generally remains inferior to that of the aid alone, thus prompting researchers to study factors affecting the level of reliance users will place on a decision aid. This study extends prior research on decision aid reliance relating to face validity, the extent to which it appears sensible and reasonable. Specifically, this study examines the effects of face validity through the presence of two levels of bias in decision aid output: the presence of bias in a decision aid will not affect how statistically informative an aid is, but will decrease the face validity. In addition, this study examines the degree to which functional fixation inhibits users' ability to adjust to changes in the bias in the decision aid, which affects the relationship between decision aid output and normative solutions. Student subjects participated in a laboratory experiment where they predicted credit ratings for a series of companies.; The study's findings suggest that decision aid users do not fully recognize and adjust for bias in a decision aid's suggestions, nor do they fully adjust to changes in the level of bias present. Thus, companies developing decision aids may need to consider the effects of using a decision aid under circumstances different from those under which the aid was developed and that may lead to biased decision aid output.