EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION PORTRAYAL PRINCIPLES FOR DECISION AIDS

AMONG THE MAJOR CAUSES OF RESISTANCE TO THE USE OF DECISION AIDS OF THE NEAR-UNIVERSAL MISMATCH BETWEEN A USER'S THOUGHT PROCESSING AND THE ANALYTIC MODEL AND CONSTRUCTS IMPOSED ON HIM BY THE COMPUTER. TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION, DESIGN PRINCIPLES MUST BE DEVELOP ED BASED ON EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE--THAT CAUSE AND AID TO PRESENT INFORMATION TO A USER IN A MANNER COMPATIBLE WITH HIS THOUGHT PROCESS.WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AND TEST, WITHIN AN AIR FORCE CONTEXT, INFORMATION PORTRAYAL PRINCIPLES FOR DECISION AIDS. THREE AREAS OF WORK ARE PROPOSED: (1) THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR RELATING COGNITIVE AND PORTRAYAL FACTORS AND GENERATING CANDIDATE PORTRAYAL, PRINCIPLES, (2) THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED AID CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING EXPERIMENTAL TESTING OF HYPOTHESIZED PRINCIPLES, AND (3) THE TESTING OF KEY PORTRAYAL HYPOTHESES.