Examining the effects of cognitive consistency between training and displays

An experiment was performed testing the “display cognitive consistency hypothesis” proposed in Adelman et al. (1996). This hypothesis states that the effectiveness of a display format for decision-aiding systems depends on the consistency between how the system displays its reasoning process and how the person is processing the information. Results of an experiment using a simulated Army air defense task and college students found support for the hypothesis, but only at a situation-specific, not global level. Although unexpected, these results were consistent with other research indicating the importance of situation-specific context for understanding judgment and decision processes in individual and group settings