Analyzing information search patterns to test the use of a two-phased decision strategy

This study compares three procedures, Payne's index, Van Raaij's index and the single Markov model, to test the hypothesis that subjects apply two decision strategies successively in making a choice. The information search patterns were gathered for 72 subjects by means of an information display board. The decision tasks varied in complexity (3, 5, 8 alternatives and 4, 6, 8 attributes). The number of tests which resulted in a significant difference (p < 0.05) were respectively, six out of eighteen t-tests for Payne's index, fourteen out of eighteen t-tests regarding Van Raaij's index, and eight out of nine Chi-square tests for the single Markov model. The theoretical considerations as well as the results suggest that Payne's index is the least sensitive, and that Van Raaij's index, compared to the Markov model, is less sensitive to detect a difference in strategies used.