Domain-Specific Knowledge and Task Characteristics in Decision Making

Abstract

Recent theory and research has highlighted the importance of domain-specific knowledge in allowing superior performance. Previous studies have shown that task characteristics affect decision making performance, yet few (if any) studies have varied task characteristics in the context of knowledge differences. In this study, two task characteristics (the labeling of alternatives and the structure of the decision) were identified and hypothesized to interact with decision-maker knowledge level in affecting information acquisition and decision accuracy. A computerized information board study using high and low knowledge individuals in the domain of basketball found that both task characteristics interacted with knowledge level to affect information acquisition and decision accuracy. High knowledge individuals were significantly more accurate than low knowledge individuals on well-structured decisions but not on ill-structured decisions. Further, high knowledge individuals reduced information search when decisions were well-structured and when alternatives were descriptively labeled, and acquired considerably more contextual information than low knowledge individuals across all conditions. On the other hand, low knowledge information acquisition appeared to be largely unaffected by decision structure or descriptive labeling. The discussion highlights the need to view superior performance as a complex function of existing knowledge, task demands and information search.