The Impact Of Time Pressure On Information Processing Pattern Of Indecisive Individuals' Decision-making

Indecisiveness is the inability to make decisions in a timely manner across situations and domains.as a general mentality and behavioral phenomena,it is importmant to people's decision-making,however,the research of Indecisiveness is in the initial stage.This study was to testify Germeijs and De Boeck'Indecisiveness scale in Chinese subjects ,then effectively distinguished indecisive and decisive individuals.Explored indecisive individuals'information processing approach of the dynamic situation's decisive-making under time pressure or without.Tracked subjects'eye movements,further analyzed the distribution of indecisive individuals'fixatiom points to reveal the distribution of indecisive individuals'cognitive resources during the information processing.The study was divided into three parts:First,adopted GIS scale'measurement and two classic reasoning tasks to testify GIS scale'reliability and validity. Second, used message board technology, allowed subjects to choose a college course under the dynamic situation, to investigate the effects of time pressure on indecisive individuals'information processing approach. Last, using eye tracking methodology, from the micro-level to analyze indecisive individuals'information processing approach and the distribution of indecisive individuals'cognitive resources.The results were listed as follows:(1) GIS scale is adapt to Chinese subjects which has good reliability and validity, it can effectively distinguish indecisive and decisive individuals.(2)without time pressure, Indecisive individuals use a predominantly alternative-based search pattern while decisive individuals use a predominantly attribute-based search pattern.Under time pressure, Indecisive individuals change their predominantly alternative-based search pattern to a predominantly attribute-based search pattern while decisive individuals use a predominantly attribute-based search pattern which is not affected by time pressure.(3) When the options are increased, Indecisive individuals do not defer decision-making whether there is a time pressure and search less options. While decisive individuals search the all options when there is not a time pressure and search less options when there is a time pressure.(4)Time pressure increases the search frequency during the information processing of indecisive individuals.(5)Indecisive individuals have lower confidence than decisive individuals.(6) The eye movements prove that Indecisive individuals use a predominantly alternative-based search pattern while decisive individuals use a predominantly attribute-based search pattern, Indecisive individuals'cognitive resources distribution is more balanced than decisive individuals.(7) Indecisive individuals seek more information and take more time about the chosen alternative than decisive individuals.So the conclusions of the study were: First,GIS scale is a good evaluation tool which can effectively distinguish indecisive and decisive individuals.Second, Indecisive individuals do not defer decision-making in all situations, they engage in a satisficing strategy whether there is a time pressure or not, while decisive individuals modulate their delay behavior in response to risks associated with delay then adjust the decision strategy. Third, (3) Indecisive individuals equally search the option's every aspects and take more cognitive resourcesuse a predominantly alternative-based search pattern,their cognitive resources distribution is more balanced, by accelerating the search frequency and change the search pattern to response the time pressure,while decisive individuals measure the weight of earch attribute that is more effortlessly use a predominantly attribute-based search pattern which is not affected by time pressure, by reducing the information search behavior to response the time pressure. Last,Indecisive individuals have the mentality characteristics that they have lower confidence and doubt the correctness of their decision.