An Empirical Investigation of the Effects of Decision Aids on Problem‐Solving Processes*

Despite the growing number of investigations examining decision support systems (DSS), relatively few empirical studies have evaluated the effects of DSS on problem‐solving processes. This study uses protocol analysis to investigate the impact of a specific decision aid on problem‐solving processes in a semi‐structured problem. Results indicate that decision aids influence the problem‐solving processes of decision makers. The effect of a decision aid is found to be contingent on familiarity with the decision aid, task familiarity, and the interaction of these two factors. Suggestions for incorporating interaction effects and problem‐solving processes into future examinations are proposed.