The harassed decision maker: Time pressures, distractions, and the use of evidence.

This study was concerned with the dominant simplifying strategies people use in adapting to difficult information processing environments.The hypothesis testes was that judges operating under tirae pressure or distraction would tend to systematically place greater weight on negative evidence than counterparts in less strainful conditions.Six groups of subjects were presented five pieces of information to assimilate in evaluating cars as purchase options.Three groups operatec under varying tiiae pressure conditions and three groups under varying levels of distraction.Data usage models assuming disproportionately heavy weighting of negative evidence provided beat-fits to a substantially higher number of subjects in the high time pressure and moderate distraction conditions* Subjects also attended to fewer data dimensions in these conditions.,