Practical aspects of a visual aid to decision making

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Individuals with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) often struggle with information integration for decision-making.
• Previous research indicated a visual aid could support decision-making by translating pros and cons into a single evaluative dimension.
• A prior study showed this visual calculator improved performance in temporal discounting and financial decision tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the practical application of a pen-and-paper visual calculator for training individuals with mild ID.
• To assess the effectiveness of group-based training and long-term retention of the visual calculator's use.

Main Methods:

• A pen-and-paper version of temporal discounting tasks was used.
• Participants with mild ID underwent training in a group setting.
• Testing occurred before training, immediately after, and two months later.

Main Results:

• The visual aid improved temporal discounting performance in a group setting, comparable to individual computer-based training.
• Performance gains were maintained for one day but lost after two months without the aid.
• Participants demonstrated perfect retention of how to use the visual aid over two months.
• The visual calculator reduced impulsivity and increased waiting time in real-time tasks.

Conclusions:

• The visual calculator demonstrates practical applicability for supporting decision-making in people with mild ID.
• Group-based pen-and-paper training is an effective method for teaching visual aid use.
• The visual calculator offers a viable tool for enhancing community-based decision-making support for individuals with mild ID.