The influence of DSS types, decision style, and environment on individual decision making

Cognitive style, measured by Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, was used to categorize decision makers. Information source in the form of different DSS types was provided to help the decision makers make more effective decisions. The research attempted to investigate systematically the effects of cognitive style and DSS usage on the decision maker\u27s perception of risk in the context of capital expansion projects. The research encompassed analysis of behavior under conditions of uncertainty for two values of the cognitive dimension, sensing-intuition (S-N), and use of two types of information sources, data-bases DSS (DBDSS) and model based DSS (MBDSS). The behavior was studied within the boundaries of four decision scenarios (2 information sources x 2 cognitive styles). The research attempted to establish the interaction of decision support systems and cognitive style on perceived risk, in a decision-making situation under uncertainty. The decision maker\u27s choice in a risky situation is influenced by the risk perceived by the decision maker. The perception of risk is a result of an interaction between a decision maker\u27s personal characteristics and the environment in which he/she faces the problem. Each type of individual needs the kind of information to which he/she is psychologically attuned in order to use it most effectively. The information needed by the decision maker can come from different types of DSS. DSS supports the decision-making activity and enhances the decision maker\u27s effectiveness. From the literature review, previous researchers have indicated that considering the human variable of cognitive style is very necessary for the successful design of decision support systems. The objective of this research was to study the level of risk perceived by people of different cognitive styles, using different types of decision support systems, when they face problems under uncertainty/. The following research hypothesis was supported in Experiment 2, when decision environment was introduced as a control variable. Perceived risk will be influenced by the compatibility of the information source and the cognitive style of the decision maker