Stopping decisions: information order effects on nonfocal evaluations.
Michael Yu1, Cleotilde Gonzalez
1Carnegie Mellon University, 4609 Winthrop Street, Suite 102, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Human Factors
|August 23, 2013
Summary
Stopping decisions are influenced by the most recent information, especially under task load. People adjust their task completion times based on the latest cues, even if overall risk remains the same.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
- Human Factors
Background:
- Stopping decisions are crucial in tasks involving sequential cues and potential risks.
- Existing models inadequately explain how working memory limitations affect these decisions within varying contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the order of information presentation influences task stopping decisions.
- To examine the role of recent cues and task load in modulating stopping behavior.
Main Methods:
- Participants engaged in the Work Hazard Game, a task involving point rewards and penalties after an unannounced emergency.
- Cue sequences indicated emergency probability, with studies manipulating final cue probability and task difficulty.
Main Results:
- In Study 1, participants stopped sooner with high-probability final cues (p = .09), irrespective of overall risk.
- In Study 2, this effect was observed in challenging tasks but not easy ones (p = .08).
Conclusions:
- Task stopping decisions are sensitive to the most recent cue, particularly under cognitive load.
- Changes in information presentation alone can alter responses to identical risks, highlighting recency effects in decision-making.
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