Preferences, Information, and Group Decision Making

Abstract

This study will examine how the structure of preferences of group members in a decision-making group, as well as the information they have, affects the collection and the processing of information by individual members of a decision making group. Structure of preferences in this study will represent each individual group members’ preference towards a particular course of action. Using an experimental method of analysis, this study will examine how the preference structure of a group affects what and how much information a group member will analyze before making a decision. I hypothesize that the structure of the group members’ preferences should affect the subjects’ search and process of information. This study aims to answer the following questions; do group preferences affect the search and processing of information? Do group members thoroughly survey the objectives and alternatives in the decision making process?