UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECT′S BEHAVIOR IN THE INTERACTION WITH A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM UNDER TIME PRESSURE AND MISSING INFORMATION

The article seeks to determine how time pressure and missing information in decision-makingaffect the behavior of decision makers. Data was collected through an experimental task ofsimulating the purchase of a car, which was structured with the AHP (Analytic HierarchyProcess) multi-criteria method in a Decision Support System. When pressured by time, theexperimental subjects focused on the car of their choice; whereas with no time pressure, some ofthem rationalized more, used the information, and did not agree with the chosen car.Assumptions of the Theory of Image justified some findings, indicating that previouslystructured images in the mind of the decision maker are a way to cope with time pressure. Giventhe missing information, the use of background knowledge and individual experience were themost prominent coping strategy.