Accuracy and variability of information sources as determiners of performance and source preference orf decision makers

9 different information sources were examined to determine the relative effects of source accuracy, source variability, and objective expected value upon the source preferences of decision makers. The 9 sources of information were created by using all combinations of 3 levels of mean accuracy of information and 3 levels of error variability. Preference for an information source was shown to be related to both the accuracy of a measure and its variability, with the former appearing to be the most rapidly recognized of the 2. In addition, the objective expected value of a source (as determined by the payoff system used) accounted for nearly all of the variance in group performance.