Cognitive strategy: a research perspective for systems design

The purpose of this empirical study was to examine one of the aspects of cognitive processes, namely, cognitive strategies, for multiple-criteria decisions. The results indicate that there are differences in performance, efficiency, and confidence due to the moderating effects of cognitive strategy, particularly when that strategy is interfered with. Attempts to accommodate decision-makers' cognitive styles may have been unsuccessful because the research focus was too broad. The characteristic processing strategies that individuals display in multicriteria decision-making may, to some extent, be a function of more general limitations in their information processing capabilities. With an understanding of the impacts of cognitive strategies and the relationship linking general and specific influences on information processing, information and decision support systems can be designed that better conform to or accommodate decision makers' dominant cognitive processes.<>