a Department of Psychology - Organizational & Business Psychology , University of Münster , Münster , Germany.
b European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS), Department of Information Systems , University of Münster , Münster , Germany.
Ergonomics. 2019 May;62(5):597-611. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2019.1574361. Epub 2019 Mar 1.
Decision makers in organisations are often overtaxed by huge amounts of information in daily business processes. As a potential support strategy, this study examined 'directed forgetting' (Bjork, 1970) in a simulated sales planning scenario. We assumed that the availability of a computer-based decision support system (DSS) triggers the forgetting of decision-related background information. Such directed forgetting should not only release memory capacities for additional tasks but also enhance decision quality and decrease strain of decision makers. Assumptions were tested in an experimental study with = 90 participants. Consistent with our assumptions, results revealed a higher recall of decision-unrelated information, higher decision quality and higher well-being when participants could use a DSS as compared to two Control conditions without a DSS. Moreover, directed forgetting effects were qualified by participants' trust in the DSS. This study provides the first evidence for directed forgetting effects cued by information systems in a business context. Information overload is an increasing challenge in modern business organisations. Extending findings from basic memory research, this study shows that availability of a computer-based decision support system triggers forgetting of decision-related background information, which in turn increases users' mental resources for additional tasks, decision quality, and well-being.
组织中的决策者在日常业务流程中经常会被大量信息压得喘不过气来。作为一种潜在的支持策略，本研究在模拟销售计划场景中检验了“定向遗忘”（Bjork，1970）。我们假设计算机决策支持系统（DSS）的可用性会触发与决策相关的背景信息的遗忘。这种定向遗忘不仅应该释放用于其他任务的记忆容量，还应该提高决策质量并降低决策者的压力。这些假设在一项有 90 名参与者的实验研究中得到了检验。与我们的假设一致，结果显示，与没有 DSS 的两个对照组相比，当参与者可以使用 DSS 时，他们对决策不相关信息的回忆更高，决策质量更高，幸福感更高。此外，定向遗忘效应受到参与者对 DSS 的信任的限制。本研究首次提供了在商业环境中由信息系统引发的定向遗忘效应的证据。信息过载是现代商业组织面临的日益严峻的挑战。本研究将基础记忆研究的发现扩展到，它表明计算机决策支持系统的可用性会触发与决策相关的背景信息的遗忘，这反过来又增加了用户完成其他任务、提高决策质量和幸福感的心理资源。
