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Modeling the Role of Gratification in Information Behaviour

Frances Alvarado-Albertorio & Professor Amanda Spink

Queensland University of Technology

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Problem Statement

What does gratification theory tell us about human behaviour?

Gratification is a key component of human behaviour

Immediate gratification

Delayed gratification

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Gratification Studies

Uses and gratification research mainly from communication studies (Lazarsfeld, Katz & Stanton, 1944).

The vast majority of the early research of uses and gratification were descriptive (Ruggiero 2000).

Further studies on uses and gratification theory focused on the gratification of people using the Internet.

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Gratification Studies

The paradigm of delay of gratification (Mischel & Ayduk, 2004)

Children: immediate reward and bigger reward (Ray and Najman, 1986)

According to the risk-taking model of behaviour (Atkinson, 1964) people choose a task by evaluating:1) the level of difficulty2) success and failure probability in completing the task3) the incentive they might get for choosing the task

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Information Behaviour Studies

Chatman (1991) explored the role of gratification theory in the context of information seeking.

Spink, Park, & Koshman (2006) found that there were two types of user groups based on their information-task behaviours: the immediate gratifiers and the delayed gratifiers.

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Spink, Park & Koshman Study

Some study participants were conducting the harder, more challenging or more unpleasant problems first, and then rewarding themselves or delaying gratification, in line with delayed gratification theory (Blumer & Katz, 1974; Metcalfe & Mischel, 1999).

Some study participants ordered their information problems from low to high level of personal interest or problem familiarity.

Need for gratification studies in the information behaviour and Web search context

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Research Problem

Limited studies have examined the role of gratification in information behaviour and information tasks, including the prioritisation of information tasks.

What is the role of gratification in information behaviour and Web search behaviour?

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Research Questions

What is the relationship between gratification and information behaviour?

What is the role of immediate and delayed gratification during Web search?

What is the role of gratification in the order & prioritisation of information tasks?

What is the relationship between the usefulness and relevance of search results and the users gratification levels?

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Gratification Study

Gratification is a broader concept related to cognitive and affective needs.

Satisfaction is linked to the gratifications that users seek, which they could find in different channels.

Gratifications sought (GS) refer to the motivations or expectations of the users to engage in a particular activity such as approaching an information task.

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Gratification Study

Gratifications obtained (GO) are the rewards that users get after the completion of the information tasks and are dependant on gratifications sought (GS) and the evaluation of the content retrieved.

The gratifications sought (GS) of the users could be another factor that might influence the order and prioritisation of tasks.

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Gratification Study

The information behavior process is dynamic

What motivates users to search for information is a combination of information processing constructs (ex., cognitive states, gap of knowledge, gratifications sought) and personality traits.

The decisions made during information behaviour is related to the gratifications sought (GS) by the users.

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Gratification Study

Delayed gratifiers see uncertainty as a positive experience.

Delayed gratifiers tend to approach complex information tasks as something fun and challenging leading to a positive outcome.

This view of uncertainty as positive is supported by studies conducted by Anderson (2006); Yoon & Nilan (1999); and Cole (1993).

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Conceptual Model of Gratification in Task Oriented Web Search

Conceptual model of gratification in information task oriented websearches

Information Searching

Information Tasks

Cognitive Styles and Individual DifferencesInformation Task Ordering Level of ComplexityPrioritization

Immediate Gratification(easy tasks)

Delay of gratification(difficult tasks)

Factors Affecting Information Problem Ordering

Personal InterestProblem KnowledgeEase of Finding Information

Task Switching

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Content/Relevance Judgments

Gratification obtained from content retrieved

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Conclusion and Further Research

A study is currently being conducted to explore the relationship of gratification in information behavior

Relationship between personality traits, cognitive styles, relevance and uncertainty.

The study has theoretical implications for the understanding and modeling of information behaviour.

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Questions?

Thank You