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Effects of Information Visualization on Older Adults' Decision-Making Performance in a Medicare Plan Selection Task:
Margaux M Price1, Jessica J Crumley-Branyon, William R Leidheiser
1John Deere, Urbandale, IA, United States.
JMIR Human Factors
|June 3, 2016
Summary
Information visualizations (info-vis) improve decision-making for older adults by reducing cognitive load. This study shows info-vis enhances accuracy and speed when choosing Medicare plans, aiding complex choices.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Complex decision-making tasks, like choosing health insurance, are challenging for older adults due to cognitive declines.
- Environmental supports (ES), particularly information visualizations (info-vis), can mitigate these challenges by reducing cognitive load.
- Older adults may benefit from user-centered design in info-vis to support decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if an info-vis can decrease working memory demands for older adults.
- To assess the impact of info-vis on the accuracy and efficiency of complex decision-making in older adults.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of info-vis in the context of Medicare prescription drug plan selection.
Main Methods:
- A computerized decision-making task simulating health plan selection was administered to 23 older adults (ages 66-80).
- Participants used either a colored info-vis or a standard table format to make decisions.
- Task difficulty was manipulated by varying the number of selection criteria; decision accuracy and response time were recorded.
Main Results:
- Older adults demonstrated significantly higher decision accuracy when using the info-vis compared to the table.
- Decision-making speed was significantly faster in the info-vis condition.
- Improved performance was noted in the info-vis condition for specific attributes like gap coverage.
Conclusions:
- Environmental supports, specifically info-vis, can effectively reduce working memory load during complex choices.
- Info-vis enhances decision accuracy and efficiency for older adults, particularly when focusing on single attributes.
- Tailored info-vis design can improve the quality of life for older adults by supporting critical decisions.
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