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.
