Social Roles as Context in Information Behavior

1. Social Roles as Context in Information Behavior February 29, 2012 U. Of North Carolina Donald O. Case University of Kentucky College of Communications & Information Studies

2. Overview of My Talk • Definitions: Information Behavior & Context • Facets, or Indicators, of Context • Patterns of Health Information Seeking • Theories and Models that Explain These • Fields & Pathways of Information Seeking

3. Information Behavior • This Genre First Adopted the Title of “Needs and Uses,” Reflecting a Library Orientation • Later it Was Called “Information Seeking” • Recently “Information Behavior” or “Information Practices”

4. Importance of Context Atwood & Dervin (1982) & Dervin et al (1984) Find Problem Situations are Better Predictors of Seeking than any Demographic Factors.

5. Context: Definitions • “virtually anything that is not defined as the phenomena of interest” (Dervin, 1997)

6. Context: Definitions • “virtually anything that is not defined as the phenomena of interest” (Dervin, 1973) • “socioeconomic conditions, work roles, tasks, problem situations . . .” (Talja et al.)

7. Context: Definitions • “virtually anything that is not defined as the phenomena of interest” (Dervin, 1973) • “socioeconomic conditions, work roles, tasks, problem situations . . .” (Talja et al.) • Also the Mix of Sources to Which we Attend

8. Context: Definitions • “virtually anything that is not defined as the phenomena of interest” (Dervin, 1973) • “socioeconomic conditions, work roles, tasks, problem situations . . .” (Talja et al.) • Also the Mix of Sources to Which we Attend • In my book: Demographics, Jobs, Roles

9. Occupations (Unexamined) • Scientists, Engineers, Managers • Social Scientists, Humanists, other Faculty • Doctors, Nurses, other Health Professionals • Journalists, Lawyers, Judges, Clergy, Cops • Artists, Actors, Farmers, etc.

10. Demographics (Unexamined) • Age or Age Group, e.g., “Elderly,”“Children” • Race, Ethnicity or Language (Ethnolinguistic) • Socioeconomics, e.g., “Poor,”“Homeless” • Education: Implied in the Latter, & also in Roles Like “Patient” or Jobs like “Scientist”

11. Focus on Roles: Some Examples • Citizen, Voter, Member of the Public • Consumer, Buyer, Shopper • Hobbyist, Club Member, Sports Fan • Gatekeeper (Often in Context of Job) • Student (Studies too Numerous to Count) • Medical Patient, or Family/Friend of Patient

12. Patient-Related Studies Increasing: • Patient Empowerment (1960s +) • Growing Health Problems • Increasing Cost of Treatment • Dissatisfaction with Health Care • Fast-Growing/Changing Literature • Disintermediation of Advice

13. Health Info.-Seeking Patterns • Accessibility and Habit are Key Factors • Preference for Personal Sources, e.g., Friends, Family, “Patients Like Me.” • 59% of Adults Use Web for Health Info. • It is the 3rd Most Popular Web Topic

14. Demographics are Weak Predictors • Women Better Seekers than Men • Elderly Less Demanding of Doctors • Some Groups more Fatalistic, Religious • Poor Know Less, Have Less Access • Education Controls for Most of These

15. Many Suboptimal Behaviors • Effect of Cognitive Limits, e.g., Memory • The Paradox of Proximity • Avoidance of Threatening Information • Wishful or Magical Thinking • Persistent Ignorance about Health

16. Patterns: Cognitive Limits We don’t Process All We Hear or Recall it. Anxiety & Jargon Make this Worse. Patients May Forget 50% of What They are Told. Many Forget to Ask the Questions They Had Earlier.

17. Patterns: Paradox of Proximity Some Individuals “Freeze” When Faced with Illness. Information Seeking about Treatment May be by Family or Friends. Zhang et al (2003): 40% of Patients & 30% of Spouses Don’t Discuss Cancer.

18. Patterns: Avoidance, Blunting • While Waiting for Diagnosis, 70% of Women with Breast Lumps Reported Anxiety/Worry, 60% Fear • 45% Distracted Themselves • 39% Sought NO Information

19. Patterns: Avoidance, Blunting • Pifalo et al. (1997): Anxiety Decreased for Most Consumer Health Library Visitors, Yet Increased for 10% • Degner & Sloan (1992): Few Patients Wanted Radiation Information, Unless They Had the Treatment Previously

20. Explaining Patterns: Some Theories • Stress & Coping Theory • Uncertainty Management, etc. • Uses & Gratifications/Value Expectancy • Other Theory: Reasoned Action, Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive (self-efficacy), Health Belief Model

21. Stress/Coping Theory (Lazarus et al.) • Transaction With Environment: Prompts • Cognitions & Emotions, Possibly Stress • Appraisal of Stress Leads to Coping: • With the Problem, and/or • With our Emotions about the Problem

22. Uncertainty Management Theory,Problematic Integration Theory One of a Few Theories (e.g. by Brashers, Babrow, Afifi) Assuming that People Sometimes Increase Uncertainty for Strategic Reasons, including Coping, or Managing Relationships with Others.

23. Examples: Deliberate Uncertainty Consider a Physician Delivering Bad News to a Patient. The MD May Soften the Possible Downsides, while the Patient May Seek Contradictory Information

24. Uses & Gratifications (Katz, 1974) • Needs Generate Expectations re: Sources • We Use Channels & Sources Accordingly • Uses Result in Gratification of Needs, and • Other Consequences, Not All Intended • We Actively Choose, Ignore & Avoid Info.

25. Some Relevant Models • Wilson’s Info. Behavior Model • Wiering’s Model of Uncertainty • Longo’s Expanded Conceptual Model • Risk Models: HBM, RISP, PRISM, etc. • Johnson’s Comprehensive Model of I.S.

26. Wilson’s Model

27. Wiering’s Model of Uncertainty

29. Johnson (1997) CMIS Model

30. Information Fields vs. Pathways • Spatial Metaphor: Horizon, Ground, World

31. Information Fields vs. Pathways • Spatial Metaphor: Horizon, Ground, World • Field: Carriers One is Normally Exposed to, & Sources One Normally Consults = Context

32. Information Fields vs. Pathways • Spatial Metaphor: Horizon, Ground, World • Field: Carriers One is Normally Exposed to, & Sources One Normally Consults = Context • Pathway: Addressing a Need by Consulting a Series of Sources, Until Satisfied or Stopping

34. Pathways for Genetics Advice

35. Summary and Implications • Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing

36. Summary and Implications • Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing • Prime Opportunity for R&D to Help People

37. Summary and Implications • Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing • Prime Opportunity for R&D to Help People • Wide Variety of Relevant Theories, Models

38. Summary and Implications • Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing • Prime Opportunity for R&D to Help People • Wide Variety of Relevant Theories, Models • Social Media will be Influential (Self-Help)

39. Comments? Questions? Thanks for Your Attention.