O Processo Decisório Descrito pelo Indivíduo e Representado nos Sistemas de Apoio à Decisão

Abstract

This study aimed to check if a Decision Support System (DSS) reproduces the process of human decision. Forthis, we used the fundamental elements of the Saaty’s (1991) Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which allowsup to five categories of analysis. Accordingly, through a laboratory experiment enacted the task of choosing anotebook in two different ways: with the aid of a DSS; and without the aid of the system, and only theindividual's mind to guide the decision while using a think aloud protocol. The results showed significantdifferences for four of the five categories of analysis. Through hypothesis testing, the only category that had nosignificant difference in both tasks was the order of choice criteria. Regarding the other categories, statisticalevidence did not support the idea that the processes are similar, even if the final decision was the same. For thisreason, this study’s hypothesis was not confirmed; it is not possible to say that a DSS reproduces the humandecision-making process. Regarding the conduct of the decision-maker concerning options for findinginformation, the process is similar in both tasks, since the decision-maker sought information according tocriteria.

Keywords

• decision making
• multiple-criteria methods for decision support
• think aloud methodology.