Assessing Web interaction with recollection: Age-related and task-related differences

The current study examined how young (n = 26; mean = 22.31 years) and older Internet users (n = 24; mean = 64.54 years) performed when they had to select and recollect information displayed in Web pages. Content-oriented and navigation-oriented information-finding tasks were used during the study phase. At test, the method made use of two recognition paradigms designed to assess recollection and the nature of representations in memory: namely, the remember/know procedure and a forced-choice recognition procedure which made it possible to compare the retrieval of detailed (verbatim-based) and semantic (gist-based) representations. The evidence from both procedures suggested that remembering was less contextualised in older participants. Furthermore, the idea that content-oriented searches impose greater processing demands than navigation-oriented searches in Web pages was confirmed for both age groups. Interestingly, the older Internet users experienced more difficulties in finding targets in navigation-oriented searches than in content-oriented searches.     

Self-efficacy about information retrieval on the web across all domains: a short measure in French and English

Considering developments on the measurement of Internet Self-Efficacy literature, a short scale was developed with a focus on web searching across all domains. The Information Retrieval On the Web Self-Efficacy scale (IROWSE) was spread from the General Self-Efficacy Scale [Schwarzer, R. 1994. “Optimism, Vulnerability, and Self-Beliefs as Health Related Cognitions: A Systematic Overview.” Psychology and Health: An International 9: 161–180] and measures the value attributed by an individual to her/his own capacity to organise and execute information searches on the web. In study 1 (N?=?228), we aimed to ensure reliability, explore factorial structure, and check for criterion-related validity of a French form. In study 2 (N?=?534), we aimed to validate an English version among US and international (non-US) sample. From an internal validity point of view, both IROWSE versions turned out satisfactory with a one-factor model of eight items. As expected, the scales were not confused with self-esteem as a trait (study 1), self-reported Internet search skills (study 2) or general attitudes towards the Internet, and stemmed from direct experience with the Internet (study 1 and 2). Overall, slight differences between samples would indicate the cultural sensitivity of IROWSE measure encouraging running studies with a comparative approach. Resorting to the IROWSE measure might enhance the understanding of Internet practices, information retrieval behaviours, and search performance since self-efficacy would thus be assessed at a more domain-specific level.     

Technology for supporting web information search and learning in Sign Language

Sign Languages (SL) are underrepresented in the digital world, which contributes to the digital divide for the Deaf Community. In this paper, our goal is twofold: (1) to review the implications of current SL generation technologies for two key user web tasks, information search and learning and (2) to propose a taxonomy of the technical and functional dimensions for categorizing those technologies. The review reveals that although contents can currently be portrayed in SL by means of videos of human signers or avatars, the debate about how bilingual (text and SL) versus SL-only websites affect signers’ comprehension of hypertext content emerges as an unresolved issue in need of further empirical research. The taxonomy highlights that videos of human signers are ecological but require a high-cost group of experts to perform text to SL translations, video editing and web uploading. Avatar technology, generally associated with automatic text-SL translators, reduces bandwidth requirements and human resources but it lacks reliability. The insights gained through this review may enable designers, educators or users to select the technology that best suits their goals.     

Internet exploration behaviours and recovery from unsuccessful actions differ between learners with high and low levels of attention

Sustained attention (i.e., focusing attention on an activity for a prolonged amount of time) has important implications for learning and memory. However, little is known regarding the behavioural factors that contribute to sustained attention during Internet learning. The primary purpose of the current study was to explore differences in navigational choices and recovery from unsuccessful actions of learners with high and low levels of sustained attention. Undergraduate students searched the Internet for information corresponding to an assigned low domain knowledge topic for 20 min while their eye-gaze was recorded. High- and low-attending learners differed in the selection of links, level of linearity used to navigate the Internet, Web reading strategies, and frequency of deploying unsuccessful actions. These results indicate that sustained attention may be impacted by the monitoring of one’s progress towards the learning goal, and have implications for scaffolding provided by teachers and adaptive hypermedia systems.     

Information-seeking behaviours and cognitive search strategies in different search tasks on the WWW

This study investigates the cognitive strategies of 80 participants as they engaged in two researcher-defined tasks and two participant-defined information-seeking tasks using the WWW. Each researcher-defined task and participant-defined task was further divided into a directed search task and a general-purpose browsing task. On the basis of retrospective verbal protocols, log-file data and observations, 12 cognitive search strategies were identified and explained. The differences in cognitive search strategy choice between researcher-defined and participant-defined tasks and between directed search and general-purpose tasks were examined using correspondence analysis. These cognitive search strategies were compared to earlier investigations of search strategies on the WWW.

Relevance to industry

Describing information-seeking behaviours and cognitive search strategies in detail provides website developers and search engine developers with valuable insights into how users seek (and find) information of value to them. Using this information, website developers might gain some knowledge as to how to best represent the content and navigational properties of websites. Search engine developers might wish to make the search and collection strategies more transparent to users. There are also design implications for the designers of web browsers.     

Computer use in older adults: Determinants and the relationship with cognitive change over a 6 year episode

Cognitively challenging activities may support the mental abilities of older adults. The use of computers and the Internet provides divergent cognitive challenges to older persons, and in previous studies, positive effects of computer and Internet use on the quality of life have been demonstrated. The present study addresses two research aims regarding predictors of computer use and the relationship between computer use and changes in cognitive abilities over a 6-year period in both younger (24-49 years) and older adults (older than 50 years). Data were obtained from an ongoing study into cognitive aging: the Maastricht Aging Study, involving 1823 normal aging adults who were followed for 9 years. The results showed age-related differences in predictors of computer use: the only predictor in younger participants was level of education, while in older participants computer use was also predicted by age, sex and feelings of loneliness. Protective effects of computer use were found for measures of selective attention and memory, in both older and younger participants. Effect sizes were small, which suggests that promotion of computer activities in older adults to prevent cognitive decline may not be an efficient strategy.     

Age differences in constraints encountered by seniors in their use of computers and the internet

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore older computer users’ constraints at various age stages. We investigated perceived barriers experienced by older adults in the use of computer-mediated information technology in different age segments (the pre-senior, the young-old, and the older-old). Two hundred forty-three senior computer users participated in the study. Respondents’ ages ranged from 50 to 93. Results from exploratory factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance suggested that there were four dimensions of constraints encountered by seniors while dealing with computer-based technologies: Intrapersonal, interpersonal, structural, and functional constraints. These results indicated that senior users might face diverse barriers at different age stages. Implications for developing an effective programming for older adults and research limitations were discussed at the end.     

On retrieving information from external knowledge stores: Feeling-of-findability,feeling-of-knowing and Internet search

The ease with which individuals can access information has changed drastically with the advent of the Internet. Understanding how this change in our information landscape influences thinking represents an important question for psychological science. Research has demonstrated that we have a fairly accurate sense of the relative availability of internal information – a feeling-of-knowing. Here we examine the extent to which individuals have developed a sense of the relative availability of information stored on the Internet (i.e., externally) – a feeling-of-findability. Results demonstrate that when individuals do not know the answer to a question their feeling-of-findability accurately predicts the amount of time it takes them to locate the answer on the Internet. Furthermore, this feeling-of-findability, when individuals do not know the answer to a question, is unrelated to individuals’ feeling-of-knowing, despite the fact that the latter is also demonstrated to predict search times. Instead, feeling-of-findability appears to be predicted by intuitions about how difficult it will be to generate a successful search query and the popularity of the type of information sought.     

CACHE RP : A novel dynamic cache size tuning model working with relative object popularity for fast web information retrieval

The CACHE_RPframework leverages the relative object popularity as the sole parameter for dynamic cache size tuning. In the process it consistently maintains the prescribed cache hit ratio on the fly by deriving the popularity ratio from the current statistics. As a result the accuracy of the statistical CACHE_RPoperation is independent of changes in the Internet traffic pattern that may switch suddenly. The contribution by the novel CACHE_RPframework is that by adaptively maintaining the given hit ratio it effectively reduces the end-to-end information retrieval roundtrip time (RTT) and frees more bandwidth for sharing. This bandwidth would otherwise be consumed in transferring large amounts of data from remote data sources to the proxy server before it is given to the client or requestor.     

Visual search tasks: measurement of dynamic visual lobe and relationship with display movement velocity

Visual lobe is a useful tool for predicting visual search performance. Up till now, no study has focused on dynamic visual lobe. This study developed a dynamic visual lobe measurement system (DVLMS) that could effectively map dynamic visual lobe and calculate visual lobe shape indices. The effects of display movement velocity on lobe shape indices were examined under four velocity conditions: 0, 4, 8 and 16 deg/s. In general, with the increase of display movement velocity, visual lobe area and perimeter became smaller, whereas lobe shape roundness, boundary smoothness, symmetry and regularity deteriorated. The elongation index was not affected by velocity. Regression analyses indicated that display movement velocity was important in determining dynamic visual lobe shape indices. Dynamic visual lobe provides another option for better understanding dynamic vision, in addition to dynamic visual acuity. Findings of this study can provide guidelines for analysing and designing dynamic visual tasks.

Practitioner Summary: Dynamic visual lobe is important in reflecting the visual ability of searching for a moving target. We developed a dynamic visual lobe measurement system (DVLMS) and examined display movement velocity’s effects on lobe shape. Findings revealed that velocity was a key factor affecting dynamic visual lobe shape indices.     

Task and user effects on reading patterns in information search

We report on an investigation into people’s behaviors on information search tasks, specifically the relation between eye movement patterns and task characteristics. We conducted two independent user studies (n = 32 and n = 40), one with journalism tasks and the other with genomics tasks. The tasks were constructed to represent information needs of these two different users groups and to vary in several dimensions according to a task classification scheme. For each participant we classified eye gaze data to construct models of their reading patterns. The reading models were analyzed with respect to the effect of task types and Web page types on reading eye movement patterns. We report on relationships between tasks and individual reading behaviors at the task and page level. Specifically we show that transitions between scanning and reading behavior in eye movement patterns and the amount of text processed may be an implicit indicator of the current task type facets. This may be useful in building user and task models that can be useful in personalization of information systems and so address design demands driven by increasingly complex user actions with information systems. One of the contributions of this research is a new methodology to model information search behavior and investigate information acquisition and cognitive processing in interactive information tasks.     

Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use

Information systems (IS) are strategic in so far as they are used to realize strategic intent. Yet, while much has been said about aligning IS functionality with the strategic intent and how to organizationally implement strategically aligned systems, less is known of how to successfully implement strategic change associated with system use – a truly critical challenge within strategic IS implementation. Drawing on a strategy-as-practice perspective we address this gap by developing a multi-dimensional view of IS strategy, conceptualizing three key challenges in the IS strategy process, to explain how and why a paper mill, despite successfully implementing a strategic production management system, failed to produce intended strategic change. We call this outcome strategy blindness: organizational incapability to realize the strategic intent of implemented, available system capabilities. Using a longitudinal case study we investigate how cognitive rigidity of key actors and fixed, interrelated practices shaped the implementation of the new production system. We also identify core components and dynamics that constitute a richer multi-dimensional view of the IS strategy implementation (alignment) process. In particular, we identify three salient factors that contribute to strategy blindness – mistranslation of intent, flexibility of the IT artifact and cognitive entrenchment – and discuss how they affect strategic implementation processes. We conclude by discussing implications of our findings for IS strategy theory and practice, especially the contribution of strategy-as-practice to this stream of research.     

互联网信息管理中的带拒绝装箱覆盖问题

作为对装箱覆盖问题的推广,提出了带拒绝的装箱覆盖问题:设有许多等长的一维箱子,给定一个物品集,每个物品有两个参数:长度和费用.物品可以放入箱子也可被拒绝放入箱子.每个物品只准放入一只箱子中,每只箱子中的物品容量总和至少为箱子容量,一旦箱子中的物品长度达到要求则需启用新箱.如果物品被放入箱中,则产生费用.该问题是一个新的组合优化问题,在内部互联网信息管理等问题中有着广泛的应用背景.给出了一个求解该问题的局外近似算法C-FF,分析其最坏情况渐进性能比为1/2,并给出了相应的实验结果.     

Learner-controlled selection of tasks with different surface and structural features: Effects on transfer and efficiency

Surface task features are more salient than structural task features and thus easier to recognize for novices. It is predicted that the more salient the task features the better learners can choose personally relevant and varied tasks, which enhances learning transfer. To investigate this prediction, a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with 72 participants studied the effects of control over tasks that differ in their surface features (learner, program) and in their structural features (learner, program). Learner control over the selection of tasks with salient surface features enables learners to select personally relevant and varied tasks. This is believed to yield higher effectiveness (i.e., higher near and far transfer test performance) as well as higher efficiency (i.e., higher transfer test performance combined with lower associated mental effort). Learner control over the selection of tasks with non-salient structural features does not enable learners to select personally relevant and varied tasks and is therefore not expected to yield beneficial effects on learning. The results show positive effects of learner control over the selection of tasks with salient surface features for efficiency on the far transfer test but not for effectiveness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

An exploration of risk information search via a search engine: Queries and clicks in healthcare and information security

The general public is increasingly using search engines to seek information on risks and threats. Based on a search log from a large search engine, spanning three months, this study explores user patterns of query submission and subsequent clicks in sessions, for two important risk related topics, healthcare and information security, and compares them to other randomly sampled sessions. We investigate two session-level metrics reflecting users' interactivity with a search engine: session length and query click rate. Drawing from information foraging theory, we find that session length can be characterized well by the Inverse Gaussian distribution. Among three types of sessions on different topics (healthcare, information security, and other randomly sampled sessions), we find that healthcare sessions have the most queries and the highest query click rate, and information security sessions have the lowest query click rate. In addition, sessions initiated by the users with greater search engine activity level tend to have more queries and higher query click rates. Among three types of sessions, search engine activity level shows the strongest effect on query click rate for information security sessions and weakest for healthcare sessions. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the study.     

Age differences in driver visual behavior and vehicle control when driving with in-vehicle and on-road deliveries of service logo signs

With the advances in vehicle technologies, more information is communicated in real-time to the driver via an in-vehicle interface. In-vehicle messaging may deliver safety-related information such as warnings as well as non-safety-related information such as an upcoming lodging place. While much research has focused on the design of messaging safety-related information, little is known about the best practice in in-vehicle messaging of non-safety-related information. This study investigated the effects of information source and load on driver signage logo identification, glance behavior, and vehicle control among younger, middle-aged and older drivers. The logos were presented on: (1) an on-road sign panel, (2) an in-vehicle display, or (3) a combination of both, with half of the drives showing logo only, and the other half of the drives showing logo plus additional text. The general findings support the use of in-vehicle displays, especially when it is presented simultaneously with on-road signs. In-vehicle displays did not lead to a higher workload or more visual distraction, and simultaneous presentations resulted in slightly better speed control. The findings also showed minimal negative impacts on logo identification from increased information load. Older drivers performed less well in signage identification and vehicle control, and they made longer glances to logo information suggesting design considerations should be made to accommodate specific driver characteristics.     

The effects of zoomable user interfaces and user age in searching for a target with a mouse on a two-dimensional information space

A zoomable user interface (ZUI) is a useful function to help users deal with large information spaces displayed within a screen. Although used in many applications, ZUIs have not been sufficiently studied in terms of usability. Usability problems may be more crucial for older people than younger ones. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of a combination of two zoom factors (three zoom focus methods: original-center, re-center, and aiming-point; and two zoom scales: +100% and +400%) for two age groups (younger and older adults) on mouse-based information searching tasks in a map-type two-dimensional information space. Twenty four volunteers (twelve users per age group) participated in the experiments by answering a pair of questions about fifty movie information topics. Task completion time, number of operations, and number of errors were selected as performance measures, and a subjective assessment of satisfaction was collected. Older adults used the tested ZUIs less efficiently and precisely than younger adults. The effects of zoom focus methods vary with zoom scale levels regardless of the age groups. The participants also preferred using the aiming-point focus regardless of zoom scale and using the re-center focus with the +400% scale. We discuss potential implications of the age-related performance differences and the effects of ZUI functions, and suggest some ZUI design guidelines in conclusion. We expect that the findings can be used as basic resources in designing various web services and applications for older computer users.

Relevance to industry

Given that a zoomable user interface is widely used in basic geographic information systems, web services, and various applications, using a selective-focus method such as the aiming-point focus can improve computer users’ usability; in particular, the zooming functions will greatly help older people to explore large information spaces quickly and easily.     

The effects of positive affect and personal information search on outcomes in call centers: An empirical study

Despite the increasing availability of computer-based information sources within organizations, employees continue to rely on other people as important sources of information. However, relatively little is known about the relations among positive affect, personal information search, and related outcomes — especially in organizations. Using data from 276 service representatives in one organization we find that positive affect is positively related to the likelihood of searching for information through personal sources. Moreover, we find that the relations between the likelihood of searching for information via personal sources and work outcomes, such as productivity and job satisfaction, are moderated by positive affect. Specifically, we find that positive affect negatively moderates the relations between personal information search and productivity, but positively moderates the relations between personal information search and job satisfaction. As we will discuss, these findings not only contribute to the IT and organizational behavior literatures but also have significant implications for practitioners.     

Coping with information in social media: The effects of network structure and knowledge on perception of information value

The explosive growth of social media has intrigued many scholars to inquire into why people willingly share information with others. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to how people determine which information they share in the networked environment. In this study, a 2 (network density – dense vs. sparse) × 2 (knowledge – expert vs. novice) × 3 (information valence – negative vs. neutral vs. positive) online experiment was performed to examine how the three factors interact and cross over in shaping individuals’ perceptions of the value of information for themselves and for others in the network. Results show that individuals’ perceptions of information value are influenced not just by their level of knowledge, but also by how the network environment is structured. Implications for the findings are discussed.