Information acquisition and decision-making amongst experienced and inexperienced pilots

Previous research suggests that the process through which information is acquired during decision-making influences the accuracy and the efficiency with which decisions are made subsequently. The present study was designed to extend this research and examine the relationship between information acquisition strategies and decisionmaking amongst experienced and inexperienced practitioners. For the purposes of the research, the aviation context was selected, since it provided a naturalistic decision context, and it was possible to assess operator experience reasonably accurately. Fifty pilots, of whom 39 were classified as inexperienced, engaged in a series of scenarios involving an in-flight diversion. The scenarios were computerbased, and were counterbalanced both in terms of the context for the flight and in the type of information acquisition strategy involved. The three information acquisition strategies were consistent with either the frequency, majority of confirming decisions, or elimination by aspects of decision heuristics. A fourth scenario enabled participants to select the strategy of their choice, once they had completed the preceding scenarios. The results revealed differences between experienced and inexperienced operators in both the accuracy and the efficiency with which decisions were made. The results have important implications for decisionmaking in advanced technology environments.