Information behavior patterns: A new theoretical perspective from an empirical study of naturalistic information acquisition

Abstract

This empirical study offers a new theoretical perspective in information behavior research by identifying interrelationships between certain information behaviors. While previous work recognizes the iterative nature of information acquisition, information behavior research has so far been dominated by the identification and conceptual elaboration of discrete behaviors. We introduce the theoretical concept of 'information behavior patterns' to characterize the intricate connectedness of information interaction in an arts and crafts context. A qualitative study comprising naturalistic observation and semi-structured interviews with 20 arts and crafts hobbyists was conducted in two 'browse-first' information environments that support various forms of active and passive information acquisition: Pinterest and a brick-and-mortar crafts store. Findings revealed a variety of information behavior patterns across both environments. We illustrate several of these through in-depth discussions of two specific information acquisition sessions. We visualize observed patterns from these sessions to illustrate the interweaving of active, passive acquisition, and personal goals. Our findings demonstrate the complex interconnectedness of human information behavior, highlighting the importance of going beyond compartmentalizing behaviors into 'buckets' when trying to understand the complex, dynamic and evolving nature of information interaction.

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“…The importance of passive information encountering has been highlighted in previous studies, which have found that people do not always actively seek information; sometimes they passively encounter it (e.g., Lee et al, 2022; Yadamsuren & Erdelez, 2016). However, what is particularly salient about these findings is that passive encounters were the primary way people became aware of the potential to change their views.…”

Knowledge in digital environments: A systematic review of literature

“…Salmon's five-stage eregulation model (da Gama Silva et al, 2019;Motaung and Makombe, 2021), Learning Design Sequence model (Hrastinski, 2020;Reyna, 2020), and design for learning model (Dickinson and Gronseth, 2020;Rabinowitz and Tondreau, 2022) are preferred in digital environments. In using knowledge in digital environments dimensions, information behavior (Kurniasih, 2019;Lee et al, 2022;Yavetz and Aharony, 2022) and digital literacy (Baterna et al, 2020;Barnes and Potter, 2021;Çetin, 2021) theorical framework are applied.…”

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“…As we progress through the information age, with increasing levels of information and technology ubiquity, we now interact with a far richer and more complex information landscape than we once did (Bawden and Robinson, 2008) and appreciate both a broader range and more complex nuance of information behavior within it (Lee et al, 2022). For example, the prevalence and wide availability of online news has increased the possibility of coming across news incidentally, during other activities.…”