STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF CUE UTILIZATION IN JUDGMENT.
Abstract
The general problem of concern here is that of understanding the process by which a decision maker combines information of varying relevance from the several cue dimensions of a stimulus object to arrive at a quantitative judgment of that object or a choice among several objects. Efforts have been focused on the following three specific projects. (Study 1) Consistency of Choice Between Equally-Valued Alternatives. This study critically evaluates the commonly accepted notion that choices between two equally-valued alternatives are randomly determined. Specific attention is given to Shepard's hypothesis that a decision maker alters his relative weighting of dimensions in order to resolve conflict and make his choice. (Study 2) Nonlinear Cue Utilization in One-Cue and Two-Cue Tasks. This experiment tests the hypothesis that the functional relationship between a cue dimension and judgments based upon that dimension will become simpler (more linear) when that cue has to be combined with other cues. (Study 3) Learning to Use Cues that Have Positive and Negative Validity. This study investigates Ss' ability to learn to use a cue as a function of whether the cue is positively or negatively correlated with the criterion dimension. Learning is related to the hypothesis that greater compatibility (numerical similarity) between a cue and the criterion will enhance Ss' ability to learn to use that cue. A detailed account of each of these studies is given in this report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 05, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0688474
Entities
People
- Paul Slovic
- Sarah C. Lichtenstein
Organizations
- Oregon Research Institute