A Study on the Influence of Cognitive Load on Information Processing Strategies and Decision Quality: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Processing Depth －Focusing on the mediating effect of information processing depth－

This study investigates the impact of cognitive load on users' information processing strategies and the mechanisms that influence decision quality. Cognitive load refers to the mental effort consumed in the information processing process, and processing strategies refer to how individuals receive, interpret, and integrate information. Combining questionnaire surveys and controlled experiments, we investigate the impact of intrinsic, extrinsic, and germane load on processing depth. According to the findings, increasing intrinsic and extrinsic loads affects depth processing, resulting in poor decision quality. On the contrary, germane load promote deeper information processing and improve decision-making outcomes. In addition, depth of processing acts as an important parameter in the relationship between cognitive load and decision-making performance. This study aims to enhance the theoretical understanding of cognitive mechanisms under high load conditions, and to enable design designs that improve users' decision-making quality by reducing cognitive burden.