The influence of task complexity factors on decision-making performance

Objective: This study aims to understand the impact of complexity factors on human decision-making performance in an economic problem (the Knapsack Problem), which is analogous to numerous situations individuals encounter daily related to the practices of administrators and managers. Methodology: Th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Schneider Bender, Carolina, Löbler, Mauri Leodir, Lehnhart, Eliete dos Reis
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM)
Repositorio:Revista de Administração da UFSM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/89667
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.ufsm.br/reaufsm/article/view/89667
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Complexity
Optimization problem
Knapsack Problem
Decision-making
Complexidade
Problema de otimização
Tomada de decisão
Descripción
Sumario:Objective: This study aims to understand the impact of complexity factors on human decision-making performance in an economic problem (the Knapsack Problem), which is analogous to numerous situations individuals encounter daily related to the practices of administrators and managers. Methodology: The research employed an experimental design with 41 participants, varying the number of items and two metrics of computational complexity: "input size" and "instance correlation". Performance was assessed by measuring optimization performance, relative performance, response time (RT), and confidence. Results: The findings reveal a significant impact from manipulating the number of items, leading to a decrease in optimization performance and confidence, alongside an increase in RT. A phase transition was observed in relative performance, where participants managed increases from 5 to 6 items despite longer task completion times; however, this compensation was no longer feasible at 7 items. The input size measure was significantly associated with all dependent variables, explaining 51.84% of the variation in RT. Practical Implications: These results can be applied in areas involving complex decision-making, such as resource allocation and logistical planning. The research contributes to understanding human cognitive limitations, enabling the development of strategies that reduce errors and cognitive overload.