ABSTRACT: A primary assumption of decision support systems (DSS) is that their use will result in more effective decision making. Using a repeated measures design, we conducted an experimental gaming study to investigate the effect of user-developed DSS applications on the decision maker's ability to forecast his or her actual gaming results. The findings of this study support the proposition that user-developed DSS models lead to more effective decision making. Subjects in the DSS modeling group made significantly better forecasts of their firm's performance than did those in the nonmodeling group.
Key words and phrases: decision support systems, decision aids