The Environment Matters: Comparing Individuals and Dyads in Their Adaptive Use of Decision Strategies

The Environment Matters: Comparing Individuals and Dyads in Their Adaptive Use of Decision Strategies

By

Juliane E. Kämmer        Wolfgang Gaissmaier     Uwe Czienskowski

Two experiments extended on this research to the group level. Subjects worked either individually or in two-person groups, or dyads, on a multi-attribute paired-comparison task. Imagine there are group of geologists searching for profitable oil-drilling sites for an oil company. First, the group needs to decide what information to search for and in what order. Second, the group needs to decide when to stop searching for information. Third, how to integrate the pieces of information make a decision. This example illustrates the idea that decision makers can choose from a repertoire of different decision strategies. Different environments require the use of different decision strategies to be successful, as no single strategy will be universally superior (Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier, 2011). The selection of an appropriate strategy from the adaptive tool box. For example, will lead to efficient and effective decision making in an uncertain environment. The current study provides some evidence for the adaptive capacity of individuals and groups and even group superiority in a task environment in which the default strategy was not the most successful one.