Involvement and Decision-Making Satisfaction with a Decision Aid: The Influence of Social Multimedia, Gender, and Playfulness

Abstract

This research explores how multimedia vividness and the use of computer-based social cues influence involvement with technology and decision-making outcomes. An experiment is conducted that examines the effect of increased levels of vividness (text, voice, and animation) and decision aid personality on decision-making involvement. In addition, the influence of two individual differences, gender and computer playfulness, on decision aid involvement are investigated. The cost-benefit framework of decision making and related research provide the theoretical foundation for the study, and suggest how increased involvement may influence decision making. Several decision-making outcomes are measured, including effort, decision quality, satisfaction, and understanding. Findings indicate that personality similarity (between the user and the decision aid) and computer playfulness result in increased involvement with the decision aid. In addition, women report higher levels of involvement with the decision aid. Increased levels of multimedia vividness are found to have a contradictory effect on involvement with the decision aid. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical contributions.