Post on 19-Dec-2015
Enjoying the flowEnjoying the flow
The role of The role of personality, personality,
motivation and motivation and emotion in emotion in
information behaviorinformation behavior
““Let’s not forget that the little Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great emotions are the great
captains of our lives and we captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing obey them without realizing
it” it”
Vincent Van Gogh, 1889Vincent Van Gogh, 1889
Emotional experienceEmotional experience
Negative – neutral – positive: Why?Negative – neutral – positive: Why?
Motivation & self-relianceMotivation & self-reliance
The experience of flow The experience of flow
Practical implicationsPractical implications
Problems in Internet Problems in Internet searchingsearching
Information overloadInformation overload Formulating search strategies Formulating search strategies Critical evaluation Critical evaluation
Reaction:Reaction: SimplifyingSimplifying Satisficing – good enough result okSatisficing – good enough result ok
Library anxiety Library anxiety (Mellon, 1986)(Mellon, 1986)
80 % of students feel anxious in a new library 80 % of students feel anxious in a new library or searching in a new systemor searching in a new system
Worry to appear stupid & incapableWorry to appear stupid & incapable
Common for ambitious studentsCommon for ambitious students
Where can I find the documents I need?Where can I find the documents I need?
How do I search efficiently?How do I search efficiently?
Personality & problem Personality & problem solvingsolving
((Kernan & Mojena, 1973)Kernan & Mojena, 1973)
Responsible & insecure students Responsible & insecure students exaggerate information seekingexaggerate information seeking
Self-confident & dominant students Self-confident & dominant students seek too little seek too little
Self-efficacySelf-efficacy(Bandura, 1986).(Bandura, 1986).
““Whether you think you can or think Whether you think you can or think you can't you are right” (Henry Ford)you can't you are right” (Henry Ford)
Self-estimate influence performanceSelf-estimate influence performance
Unpredictability of searching difficult for Unpredictability of searching difficult for insecure persons insecure persons
People with low self-confidence may give People with low self-confidence may give up the search prematurely up the search prematurely
I feel a little anxious. I fear that I won’t be able to find what I
need or that it might be very difficult.
Woman, 25 yrs
Low motivationLow motivation
Imposed tasksImposed tasks Fast surfing Fast surfing Lack of engagementLack of engagement Easily available materialEasily available material Problems with relevance judgment &Problems with relevance judgment &
critical evaluation of information critical evaluation of information
Information seeking boring & difficultInformation seeking boring & difficult
The most difficult The most difficult and annoying and annoying
part of our task part of our task is looking up the is looking up the
information. information. It’s not that It’s not that hard, but it hard, but it seems like a seems like a
waste of time.waste of time. 88thth grade boy grade boy
Negative search Negative search experiencesexperiences
Complicated search systemsComplicated search systems Information overloadInformation overload Imposed tasksImposed tasks Lack of information literacy Lack of information literacy
skillsskills InsecurityInsecurity Lack of motivationLack of motivation
Goal-oriented searchingGoal-oriented searching
Persistence & conscientiousnessPersistence & conscientiousness
Ambition & self-disciplineAmbition & self-discipline
Effort in information seekingEffort in information seeking
Deep divingDeep diving
If it came an obstacle I just
pushed harder to overcome it.
Time management is important and you have to take
advantage of your sources and time .
10th grade boy
As long as I make progress, I feel I am making efficient use
of my time.
I get exited if I find exactly what I need or a perfect search
term.
Woman, 26 yrs
High motivationHigh motivation
Enjoyment of information seekingEnjoyment of information seeking
Reflective & analyticalReflective & analytical
Interest in learning Interest in learning
Quality-consciousQuality-conscious
Openness to experienceOpenness to experience
Creativity, curiosity, rich imaginationCreativity, curiosity, rich imagination Enjoy discovery & information Enjoy discovery & information
seekingseeking Explore wide variety of sourcesExplore wide variety of sources Incidental information acquisitionIncidental information acquisition Broad scanningBroad scanning
I love searching!I get a kick out of
finding information.
It is like a treasure hunt, where you can find something you didn’t know
existed.
Woman, 24 yrs
Flow Flow ((Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
Intense enjoymentIntense enjoyment Full involvement in the taskFull involvement in the task Energized focusEnergized focus Forgetting time and placeForgetting time and place Balance between ability & challengeBalance between ability & challenge
Search flow enablersSearch flow enablers
User-friendly search systemsUser-friendly search systems Task neither too easy nor too difficultTask neither too easy nor too difficult Curiosity, creativity & opennessCuriosity, creativity & openness Motivation, interestMotivation, interest Explorative, flexible searchingExplorative, flexible searching
Positive information Positive information experienceexperience
Key to information literacyKey to information literacy Motivated persons learn moreMotivated persons learn more Increased perceptiveness & Increased perceptiveness &
creativitycreativity Flexible & innovative thinkingFlexible & innovative thinking
Three search stylesThree search styles Fast surfers – unmotivated, insecure, Fast surfers – unmotivated, insecure,
unconscientious,unconscientious, search problemssearch problems
Deep divers – conscientious, Deep divers – conscientious, ambitious, structured, goal-orientedambitious, structured, goal-oriented
Broad scanners – creative, curious, Broad scanners – creative, curious, open, enjoy exploring information open, enjoy exploring information
Implications forImplications forinformation literacy information literacy
education Ieducation I Involving topics motivate fast surfersInvolving topics motivate fast surfers IL education integrated with IL education integrated with
curriculumcurriculum Encourage personal strengths & assist Encourage personal strengths & assist
with individual challengeswith individual challenges
Implications IIImplications II
Each search style has benefits dependent Each search style has benefits dependent on search task & stageon search task & stage
Deep divers effective but may need to Deep divers effective but may need to explore moreexplore more
Broad scanners creative but may need to Broad scanners creative but may need to focus morefocus more
Optimal IL educationOptimal IL education
Reminds of flowReminds of flow Suitable difficultySuitable difficulty RelevantRelevant PersonalPersonal FocusedFocused InterestsInterests MotivatesMotivates EncouragesEncourages Acknowledges individual strengthsAcknowledges individual strengths
ConclusionsConclusions Information seeking involves behavior, Information seeking involves behavior,
thoughts & feelingsthoughts & feelings
Personality may influence how a Personality may influence how a student approach information seekingstudent approach information seeking
Motivation essentialMotivation essential
Enjoying is being serious Enjoying is being serious
““The important thing is The important thing is not so much that every not so much that every
student should be student should be taught, as that every taught, as that every
student should be given student should be given the wish to learn” the wish to learn”
John LubbockJohn Lubbock