Information Displays and Choice Processes: Differential Effects of Organization, Form, and Sequence

This paper examines the differential influence of three features of information display on decision makers′ choice processes: (1) the organization of individual items of information into patterns or structures (matrices or lists), (2) the form of individual items (numbers or words), and (3) the sequence in which items or groups of items appear within the organization (sorted or random). Sixty MBA students chose the best alternative from sets of eight loan applications described on four relevant attributes. Subjects′ decision processes were inferred from verbal protocols and decision times. Each display feature had a distinctive influence on choice processes: Organization strongly influenced information acquisition, while form strongly influenced information combination and evaluation. Sequence had only a limited effect on information acquisition. All three display features influenced the effort expended by decision makers, with the largest effect due to organization. While organization also influenced decision makers′ self-reports of effort, there were inconsistencies between perceived and actual effort expenditure. These results have implications for understanding how decision makers respond adaptively to differences in information displays.