User preference for a control-based reduced processing decision support interface

This study examined trainee crime-scene investigators' preference for, and accuracy in using, four different computer-based decision support interface designs, each of which incorporated a different reduced processing information acquisition strategy. The interfaces differed on the basis of the number of options that could be considered simultaneously and the level of control that could be exercised over the number and sequence in which feature values were accessed. Forty trainee investigators completed six decision scenarios in which they were asked to acquire information and formulate a decision by selecting one of three options. The study comprised two phases, the first of which involved familiarizing participants with each of the four interface designs and collecting performance and subjective data. The second phase involved trainees selecting one of the four interfaces to engage in a fifth and sixth decision scenario involving high or low levels of time pressure. The results indicated that the "all options, full control" interface was the preferred option in the low time-pressure condition. Although the strategy remained the most frequently selected in the high time-pressure condition, this preference was not significant. It was concluded that the perceptions of difficulty and the degree of user control over information acquisition were more important than perceived efficiency in the selection of computer-based interface designs. The outcomes have implications for the design of decision support systems.