A recent research paper on organizational behavior and human decision processes looked at how people give and get advice, and how likely that advice is to affect their decisions.
The four types of advice explored were:
- Advice for were recommendations for a particular option
- Advice against were recommendations against a particular option
- Decision support was suggestions on how to make the decision
- Information was facts about the options that the decision maker didn’t know
In general, decision makers found all types of advice useful. However, the one type of advice that decision makers found most useful, and had the most impact on their decisions was information.
Participants felt that advice for, advice against and decision support robbed them of some independence in their decision. Information allowed them to make an informed decision, and would most likely influence future decisions. Furthermore, participants felt more confident about the decisions they made when advice came in the form of information.
Technical illustration is a highly informational medium, and this research is objective support to the power of information in the decision making process. Let your clients know that technical illustration deserves a place on the front lines of their sales efforts!
Full story via Psychology Today
