MULTIATTRIBUTE DATA PRESENTATION AND HUMAN JUDGMENT - A COGNITIVE FITPERSPECTIVE

We assessed the ability of the cognitive fit theory to explain the per formance of certain display formats on multiattribute judgment tasks. This theory suggests that for most effective and efficient problem sol ving to occur, the problem representation and ally tools or aids emplo yed should all support the strategies (methods or processes) required to perform that task. The theory was tested by assessing performance w ith schematic faces, graphs, and tables on a bankruptcy prediction tas k. Bankruptcy prediction involves integrating a large amount of data ( a number of financial indicators over a number of years), as well as r eferring to ranges and/or levels of financial indicators, Schematic fa ces provide a cognitive fit with such tasks since the information in a face can be processed holistically; however, they do not permit decis ion makers to refer to the underlying data. Graphs facilitate a differ ent integrating process; further, they preserve characteristics of the underlying data. Tables, on the other hand, do not aid the decision m aker in integrating information; they provide only the underlying data values. It was hypothesized that graphs would provide the best cognit ive fit for the bankruptcy prediction task since they permit processin g both integrated and discrete data. Participants made judgments with two of the three display formats, at two levels of information load, i n a fractional factorial design. The information load manipulation was designed to provide meaningful and meaningful plus redundant informat ion to the decision maker in a test of information load ''per se.'' Th e research findings provided substantial support for the theory of cog nitive fit. The findings also have implications for the study of infor mation load.