Systematicity of Search Index: A new measure for exploring information search patterns

Abstract

Many studies on information search in multi-attribute decision making rely on the analysis of transitions from 1 piece of information to the next. One challenge is to categorize information search that includes an equal amount of alternative- and attribute-wise transitions. We propose a measure, the Systematicity of Search Index (SSI), for exploring information search based on sequences of either alternative- or attribute-wise transitions. The SSI explores information search in terms of systematicity or the proportion of nonrandom search, that is, search that is alternative- or attribute-wise, corrected for chance. Our experiment confirms the validity of the SSI and shows that the SSI can shed light on processes not captured by the measures analysing single transitions, such as Payne's Search Index.

Keywords

eye tracking; information search; multi-attribute decision making; Search Index; systematicity

Published in

Journal of Behavioral Decision Making
2018, volume: 31, number: 5, pages: 673-685
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Perkovic, Sonja

  • Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • University of Leeds

UKÄ Subject classification

Information Studies
Applied Psychology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.2082

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/97154