Cognitive fit theory

1. The institution of
management Science
Cognitive Fit: An Empirical Study of
Information Acquisition
By Iris Vessey & Dennis Galletta
MIS `15
Mingun Jung

2. Basic Information of the Article
Cited by
540
Published in
1991
Iris Vessey
Dennis Galletta
The field’s
PIONEER

3. Problem Representation
Problem Solving Skills
Problem Solving Task
Basic Theory (Cognitive fit theory)
Problem Solution
R -$X
Mental Representation
!
• Human use the three elements to make one’s mental representation and find the solution
? or↕

4. Problem Solving Task
Problem Solving Skills
Basic Theory (Cognitive fit theory)
Problem Solution
R -$X
Mental Representation
Problem Representation
Cognitive Fit
Major Effect
Minor Effect
• When Problem Representation is same with Problem Solving Task Type, Cognitive Fit occurs
↕
↕

5. SkillMeasurementPilotTest SampleSelection
Methodology (Process)
ClassSessionMBA
x128
G1 (n=16)
G2 (n=16)
G3 (n=16)
G4 (n=16)
G5 (n=16)
G6 (n=16)
G7 (n=16)
G8 (n=16)
Experimenters
n=?
Administration
Jeffery T.
Liptmuss
=
Jeffrey T.
Liptuuss
?
Witkin'sGroupEmbeddedFiguresTest
& Minnesota Clerical Test
MainTest Repetition
Choose Problem
Representation & Task
Random
Questions
x5
Done Individually
rt
Spatial
Task
Symbolic
Task
tr
Spatial
Representation
Symbolic
Representation
A B C D
B C D A
C D A B
D A B C
90% Groups, 10% Individual
• Geographical Limit exists
• Only line graphs were used

6. Methodology (Problem Representation & Tasks)
Symbolic Problem Representation Spatial Problem Representation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Deposits Withdrawals
Month Deposits Withdrawals
Jan 37 20
Feb 66 45
Mar 26 69
Apr 47 41
May 45 28
Jun 40 45
… … …
Symbolic Tasks
Please provide the
following amounts:
withdrawals in April
deposits in February
deposits in January
deposits in November
Spatial Tasks
In which month is the
difference between
deposits and
withdrawals greatest?

7. Propositions
The relationship between Cognitive Fit and Performance
Does Problem Solver matching work?
The relationship between Task Skills and Performance
Does Problem representation affects Mind Representation ?
Which type of representation people prefer?
Performance Effect 1
Performance Effect 2
Mental Representation Effect 1
Mental Representation Effect 2
Mental Representation Effect 3

8. Problem Solving Task
Problem Solving Skills
Propositions
Problem Solution
R -$X
Mental Representation
Problem Representation
Cognitive Fit
↕
↕
P1
P2
P3, P4, P5

9. Performance indicators : Accuracy & Time
Methodology (Design)
• rt : Problem Representation - Task Sequence
• tr : Task Sequence – Problem Representation
Graph
(task)
Data Representation
Spatial Symbolic
Order
rt G1
T1
G2
T1
T2 T2
T3 T3
T4 T4
T5 T5
tr G3
T1
G4
T1
T2 T2
T3 T3
T4 T4
T5 T5
Table
(task)
Data Representation
Spatial Symbolic
Order
rt G5
T1
G7
T1
T2 T2
T3 T3
T4 T4
T5 T5
tr G6
T1
G8
T1
T2 T2
T3 T3
T4 T4
T5 T5

10. Spatial Task - Graph Spatial Task - Table Symbolic Task - Graph Symbolic Task - Table
Time(rt) 77.46 109.72 127.41 71.92
Time(tr) 80.93 105.4 138.13 71.67
Score(rt) 3.93 4.56 3.89 4.95
Score(tr) 3.31 4.48 4.01 4.97
0
5
10
15
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Results (Mean & Standard Deviation)
• ± x : difference between rt & tr values in a same condition
• (): Standard Deviations
+3.47
-4.32
-0.62
-0.08
(21.25) (29.08) (36.45) (26.78)
(44.26) (31.96) (35.99) (22.97)
(0.76) (0.63) (0.50) (0.14)
(1.15) (0.84) (0.35) (0.08)
+10.72
-2.5
+0.12
+0.02

11. Spatial Task - Graph Spatial Task - Table Symbolic Task - Graph Symbolic Task - Table
Time(rt) 77.46 109.72 127.41 71.92
Time(tr) 80.93 105.4 138.13 71.67
Score(rt) 3.93 4.56 3.89 4.95
Score(tr) 3.31 4.48 4.01 4.97
0
5
10
15
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Results (PR1. Effect of matching problem and task type)
+3.47
-4.32
-0.62
-0.08
+10.72
-2.5
+0.12
+0.02
Effect of TR = PR
Speed ▲
Accuracy ▲
Effect of TR = PR
Speed ▲
Accuracy -
• rt : Problem Representation - Task Sequence
• tr : Task Sequence – Problem Representation
• TR : Task Representation, PR : Problem Representation

12. Minnesota Clerical Test (MCT)
Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT)
Results (PR2. EffectofMatchingSkilltoProblemRepresentationandorTask)
• S : Skill, T : Task Representation
• SPT : Spatial Task, SYT : Symbolic task
• G : Graph, T : Table
Jeffery T. Liptmuss Jeffrey T. Liptuuss
Are they Same?
Type Expected
(to be significant)
Result
(to be Supported)
PR & T
G on SPT GEFT Accuracy
T on SYT MCT Both
Matching
S to PR
G on SPT GEFT X
T on SPT MCT X
Matching
S to T
SPT GEFT Accuracy
SYT MCT Time
T on SPT GEFT X
G on SYT MCT Time
?

13. Results
rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
• The values indicate the number of how many times cognitive fit occurred
• (): Standard Deviations
(0.78) (0.66) (0.78) (0.59)
(0.94) (0.84) (0.88) (0.81)

14. Results (Effects of Factors Influencing Mental Representation)
rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
• The writer thought that the differences were not significant
78%
(25/32)
93%
(30/32)
66%
(21/32)
84%
(27/32)
78%
(125/160)
87%
(140/160)
58%
(94/160)
81%
(130/160)

15. rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Results (PR3. Problem Solver Matching Capabilities)
• MR : Mind Representation
• All the values hold a majority, meaning problem solver matching capability works fine
160/2 = 80
# of trial in each
MR type
(0.78) (0.66) (0.78) (-31)
(0.94) (0.84) (0.88) (-10)

16. rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Results (PR4. Relative Effects of Problem Representation & Task)
• This proposition is to check whether a Problem Representation or a Task determines the Mental Representation
• PR’ s effects more than T’s only in Graph-Spatial task situation
Too Small Gap

17. rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
• People prefer tables than graphs regardless of performance
• Actually the result is against the trend
Results (PR5. Relative Effects of Problem Representation & Task)

18. Conclusion
Partly Cognitive Fit affects performance
Problem solver matching capability works fine
Task Skill affects less than Cognitive
Partly Problem representation affects Mind Representation
People prefer tables than graphs regardless of performance
Performance Effect 1
Performance Effect 2
Mental Representation Effect 1
Mental Representation Effect 2
Mental Representation Effect 3

19. rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
• The writer thought that the differences were not significant
78%
(25/32)
93%
(30/32)
66%
(21/32)
84%
(27/32)
78%
(125/160)
87%
(140/160)
58%
(94/160)
81%
(130/160)
Logics In The Article (Weak Points)
Do they really match?
Thereisnologicalreasonthatcanprovethe
proportionaldifferencesarenotsignificant

20. rt (1st) tr (1st) rt (all) tr (all)
Spatial 25 21 125 94
Symbolic 30 27 140 130
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Logics In The Article (Weak Points)
• MR : Mind Representation
• All the values hold a majority, meaning problem solver matching capability works fine
(0.78) (0.66) (0.78) (-31)
(0.94) (0.84) (0.88) (-10)
Can it really be the criteria?
Thereisnologicalreasonthatcanprovethe
proportionaldifferencesarenotsignificant

21. Too small size sampleAbsolute & subjective criteria mixed
Logics In The Article (Weak Points)
HowcanIgetanexactnumberfromthis?
0
35
70
Deposits Withdrawals
Unfair Measurement 1 Unfair Measurement 2 Inappropriate condition
? or↕
Easy to read all
Spatial Task - Graph Symbolic Task - Graph Spatial Task - Table Symbolic Task - Table
Score(rt) 3.93 3.89 4.56 4.95
Score(tr) 3.31 4.01 4.48 4.97
0
2
4
6

22. Application
OECD
12.0
Domestic
28.7
Related to the Article: Using Geographical Information Systems for Decision Making:
Extending Cognitive Fit Theory to Map-Based Presentations (by Alan R. Dennis & Traci A. Carte)
Average # of suicide / 0.1M (`14)

23. Application
The Effects of Information Format and Shopping Task on Consumers' Online Shopping Behavior
: A Cognitive Fit Perspective (by Weiyin Hong. James Y.L. Thong. And Kar Yan Tam)
VS

24. Application
It makes me sick
Gimme a graph

25. Application
An example of Infography