The Effect of Cognitive Load on Decision Making with Graphically Displayed Uncertainty Information

An experiment examined the ability of five graphical displays to communicate uncertainty information when end users were under cognitive load (i.e., remembering an eight‐digit number). The extent to which people could accurately derive information from the graphs and the adequacy of decisions about...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRisk analysis Vol. 34; no. 8; pp. 1495 - 1505
Main Authors Allen, Pamela M., Edwards, John A., Snyder, Frank J., Makinson, Kevin A., Hamby, David M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2014
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Analysis
Choice Behavior
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive busyness
Cognitive load
Communication
Data Display
Decision Making
Derivation
Displays
Economic behaviour
End users
Female
graphical communication
Graphs
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Optimization
Probability
Probability theory
Risk
Risk analysis
Risk theory
Studies
Uncertainty
Young Adult
uncertainty
graphical communication
probability
Cognitive busyness
decision making
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Summary:An experiment examined the ability of five graphical displays to communicate uncertainty information when end users were under cognitive load (i.e., remembering an eight‐digit number). The extent to which people could accurately derive information from the graphs and the adequacy of decisions about optimal behaviors based on the graphs were assessed across eight scenarios in which probabilistic outcomes were described. Results indicated that the load manipulation did not have an overall effect on derivation of information from the graphs (i.e., mean and probability estimation) but did suppress the ability to optimize behavioral choices based on the graph. Cognitive load affected people's use of some graphical displays (basic probability distribution function) more than others. Overall, the research suggests that interpreting basic characteristics of uncertainty data is unharmed under conditions of limited cognitive resources, whereas more deliberative processing is negatively affected.
Bibliography:istex:581240A2ADE7E71A3DC48C6468B17814C4340145
ark:/67375/WNG-HCHPV8G2-N
Department of the Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency - No. # HDTRA1-08-1-0044
ArticleID:RISA12161
Currently with the Radiation Safety Office, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Kevin A. Makinson's current affiliation is with the Radiation Safety Office, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
ISSN:0272-4332
1539-6924
DOI:10.1111/risa.12161