A Simulative Study On The Information Processing Of Decision-making In The Open Internet Situation

The Internet has changed the lives of human beings. A lot of decision-making behaviors are conducted in the Internet situation. The decision-making process is co-constructed by the decision-makers and external situations, and therefore the Internet situation would affect the decision-making process. On the basis of relevant literature, this study proposed that the openness was the typical characteristic of the Internet situation, and intended to study the specific impact of the openness on the decision-making information process. In order to further clarify the openness characteristic, we classifed the openness by the dimension of space, time, function and content into five features: presenting manner, additivity, defer choice, dynamic interactivity and interference. With reference to the "natural decision-making" research ideas, the study applied the improved Information Display Matrix (IDM) process-tracing technique, and the purchase tasks on the college students to explore the effects of the five features on the information processing of decision-making in seven empirical investigations.Study1tried to investigate the different effects of two kinds of information presentation pattern on decision making behavior. Experiment1employed2(information presenting manner: in sequence/in table)×2(product type:high/low familiarity) mixed design to examine the difference of decision performance and satisfaction. Results showed that, in contrast with presenting information in sequence, presenting information in table improved the decision performance, the decision time decreased and the decision satisfaction increased; in contrast with familiar product, the decision time on unfamiliar product more significantly decreased.Study2tried to investigate the effects of information additivity on decision making behavior. Experiment2employed2(attribute number:7/14)×2(option number:4/8)×2(product type:high/low familiarity) within-subject design to examine the difference of decision process by the IDM. Results showed that, with the increase of the number of options and attributes, subjects’ search behavior more focused on the important attributes, the amount of search increased, the depth of search decreased, the processing strategies tended to be more noncompensatory, and the subjects’ satisfaction increased. The increase of the number of options and attributes, had different effects on the pattern and variability of search. The search on unfamiliar product had higher depth, lower variability, and lower satisfaction.Study3adopted two experiments to investigate the effects of defer choice on decision making behavior. Experiment3aimed to contrast the defer choice between the online scenario and traditional scenario. Experiment3employed2(scenario: online/traditional)×2(option number: single-option/multi-option) mixed design. The task of Tversky and Shafir was adapted in online and traditional scenario. Subjects were asked to choose some product or defer choice. Results showed that, in contrast with in the traditional scenario, in the online scenario more subjects chose defer choice, but more options did not cause more choice delay. Experiment4was adopted to contrast the difference of decision process whether to introduce a deferrable options. Experiment4employed2(defer or not) x4(size of IDM) x2(product type) mixed design to examine the effect of introducing the defer choice on the decision process by the IDM. Results showed that, when subjects were provided the defer choice, the reaction time and depth of search significantly decreased, and subjects adopted more by-brand pattern of search and more noncompensatory processing strategies; the conversion of decision strategies on familiar product was more obvious than unfamiliar product; these effects were more significant on the minimum and maximum size of IDM.Study4adopted two experiments to investigate the effects of dynamic interactivity on decision making behavior. Experiment5employed2("more information" or not)x2(product type) within-subject design to examine the difference of decision process by the IDM. Results showed that, the depth of search reduced significantly when they had the choice for more information; produce familiarity had a significant effect on the pattern of information search. Subjects could continuously request for additional information in the continuous task in Experiment6, which investigated the effects of search stage and choice route on decision process. Results showed that:the average of repeat rate was about32%; the depth of search gradually reduced; more noncompensatory processing strategies were adopted. Two experiment both showed over50%subjects demanded more information. These results suggested that the information processing processes would be more selective when more information could be available.Study5tried to investigate the effects of interference on decision process. Experiment7employed2(interference or not)×2(option number:4/8)×2(product type) within-subject design to examine the difference of decision process whether to introduce50%information of interruptions by the IDM. Results showed that, introducing interruptions influenced the decision process, and the influence was more serious on unfamiliar product, more serious on fewer options. When subjects were provided the interruptions, their satisfaction decreased, the reaction time and click number increased, the depth of search decreased, and they adopted more noncompensatory processing strategies.On the basis of the experimental results, the study summarized the similarities and differences of the five features, systematically generalized the properties of the information processing under the effect of the openness characteristic, and analyzed the decision-making strategies subjects adopted. The study deduced, in the open Internet situation, cognitive resource constraints became the important factor, and the decision process needed the further attendance of meta-cognitive process, in which the combination of down-top and top-down processes presented new characteristic. With the help of previous knowledge and experience of high familiarity products, the processing methods were more flexible, more adaptive to the situation.Finally, the study concluded:under the influence of the openness characteristic, changes in the decision-making process were adaptive responds to the online situation, reflecting the co-constructed process by the decision-makers and external situations.