Convincing DSS users that complex models are worth the effort

Many management science/operations research models have been developed to improve decision making. Too often, these models are underutilized. Users generally favor less effortful strategies. The challenge then is to increase the users' willingness to expend effort. We perform a study using cognitive feedforward and feedback to increase awareness of the improved accuracy to be obtained from complex models. Models of increasing complexity are presented to subjects with feedback regarding their accuracy. Participants overwhelmingly indicated an intention to use the most complex model. The implication for decision support system designers is that users will expend more effort if the potential accuracy gains are made more salient.