The Interaction Effects Between General Thinking Skills and an Interactive Graphics-Based DSS to Support Problem Structuring*

An interactive graphics-based problem-structuring aid, GISMO, based on concepts from structural modeling and motivated by research in imagery theory and cognitive psychology was incorporated into a decision support system. A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the relationships between three individual general thinking skills (GTS) and the effectiveness of the problem-structuring tool. A theoretical model of the roles of GTS and GISMO in problem formulation and a methodology for testing the model are presented. The model posits that the effectiveness of visual problem-structuring aids in formulating or understanding complex problems is influenced by specific cognitive skills (i.e., visual-thinking, verbal, and logical-reasoning skills). The results indicate GISMO use is related to higher levels of problem-structure understanding, regardless of verbal and logical-reasoning skills. Also, the results indicate a strong interaction effect between GISMO use and visual-thinking skill. Subjects classified as high visual thinkers benefited more from the use of GISMO than the low visual-thinking subjects. The results of the experiment lend support for the findings of a previous study of GISMO reported in the literature, and the image theorist view that the ability to create and use visual, mental images is related to better problem-solving performance.