The Effectiveness of Decision Support Systems on Mobile Devices

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an experiment as part of a study assessing the impact of decision aid use on performance-based decision-making. We examine the effect of a single- user decision support mechanism for multi-attribute preferential choice in the context of large- and small-screen systems, in terms of measures of decision maker performance. The study gauges the effect of screen size on decision performance, and the moderating impact of a decision aid, through a single task scenario implemented on large 17" PC computer screens and small PDA screens. Results indicate that the decision aid significantly increases performance. Also, the decision aid directly influences the decision strategy employed to reach a decision, and reduces the cognitive effort associated with strategies traditionally considered more effortful, leading to faster decisions. Ultimately, results indicate that a decision aid can moderate the effect of diminished screen size on decision performance.