Stress and Information Search in Complex Decision Making: Effects of Load and Time Urgency

Abstract

Abstract : The effects of information load (low, medium and high) and time urgency (absent/control, moderate and high) on three measures of information search/information utilization were investigated in a complex simulated decision making situation. Measures obtained were: (1) number of information search decisions generated by four-man teams participating in the simulation, (2) number of integrations based on their previous information search decisions (a measure which previous research has shown to predict successful high level organizational performance), and (3) number of respondent actions associated with information search (a measure which previous research has shown to relate to lower levels of successful organizational performance). Previously reported data showing that intermediate load levels result in optimal integrative performance were corroborated. Increases in time urgency resulted in decreases in search activity in general, and in integrative utilization of information obtained through search in particular. High levels of time urgency in association with high load levels resulted in fewer search decisions and complete absence of integrative utilization, but produced an increase in respondent actions. The data suggest that an optimal environment for high level decision makers with planning responsibility should contain optimal intermediate load levels, but should be kept relatively free of time urgency.