Language, Visual Information, and Attention in Decision Making

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2010

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Advisor

Benjamin Faber, Psychology

Abstract

Different presentations of the same choice can generate inconsistent decisions. In the present study, language and visual information were manipulated to test whether they have an effect on decision making. Decision-making scenarios were presented in either active or passive voice Also, the presence or absence of visual information relating to the scenario was varied to potentially shift participants' focus and responses to the situations. Results were that the active/passive voice only mattered at the onset of decision making. Given time, or presented with visual information, participant's choice was not influenced by the way the sentence was worded or by what visual information was presented. Overall, it is apparent through this research that online language processing and eventual decision making can be disassociated by time.

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