Work

How Noise Can Influence Experience-Based Decision-Making under Different Types of the Provided Information

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Pervasive noise undermines many cognitive processes. Across two studies, we examined how noise influences experience-based decision-making and whether the nature of the information provided moderates this influence. Study 1 used the repeated choice paradigm and found that noise can significantly reduce people's performance in experience-based decision-making by increasing the likelihood of choosing the option with the lower expected value. This negative influence can be attenuated when experience-congruent suggestions are provided, but significantly worsened when experience-incongruent suggestions are provided. Study 2 investigated how noise influences decision-making performance in two experience-incongruent conditions differing in error salience. By replicating noise's general negative effect, we found that the noise effect could be attenuated when incongruent suggestions were obvious. We suggest that noise can undermine the information updating and integration process, which is necessary for experience-based decision-making. We also discuss the principles for designing better information aids based on these findings.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610445

Authors: Youyu Sheng, Di Dong, Gang He, Jingyu Zhang

Institutions: Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,618

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China