TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - The precision-bias distinction for evaluating visual decision aids for risk perception JO - Medical decision making A1 - Witt, Jessica K. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - Risk communication is critically important, for both patients and providers. However, people struggle to understand risks because there are inherent biases and limitations to reasoning under uncertainty. A common strategy to enhance risk communication is the use of decision aids, such as charts or graphs, that depict the risk visually. A problem with prior research on visual decision aids is that it used a metric of performance that confounds 2 underlying constructs: precision and bias. Precision refers to a person's sensitivity to the information, whereas bias refers to a general tendency to overestimate (or underestimate) the level of risk. A visual aid is effective for communicating risk only if it enhances precision or, once precision is suitably high, reduces bias. This article proposes a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of visual decision aids. Empirical data further illustrate how the new methodology is a significant advancement over more traditional research designs.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0272-989X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0272989X20943516 ID - ref1 ER -