Detecting and Resolving Informational Uncertainty in Complex Domains

A common feature of problem solving in real world complex domains is detecting moments of high informational uncertainty and trying to resolve this informational uncertainty. Yet, relatively little is known about these important aspects of real world cognition. Expert and novice performance is contrasted for relative use of informational uncertainty indicator strategies and problem solving strategies across two very different complex domains: weather forecasting and geoscience planning and data analysis. Strong differences across domains were found for problem solving but not indicator strategies. The differences between domains were exaggerated in experts. Indicators strategies generally appeared associated with spatial representations, whereas only a few of the uncertainty problem solving strategies did so.