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
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
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”
Importance of Context
Atwood & Dervin (1982) & Dervin et
al (1984) Find Problem Situations
are Better Predictors of Seeking
than any Demographic Factors.
Context: Definitions
• “virtually anything that is not defined as the
phenomena of interest” (Dervin, 1997)
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.)
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
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
Occupations (Unexamined)
• Scientists, Engineers, Managers
• Social Scientists, Humanists, other Faculty
• Doctors, Nurses, other Health Professionals
• Journalists, Lawyers, Judges, Clergy, Cops
• Artists, Actors, Farmers, etc.
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”
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Wilson’s Model
Wiering’s Model of Uncertainty
Johnson (1997) CMIS Model
Information Fields vs. Pathways
• Spatial Metaphor: Horizon, Ground, World
Information Fields vs. Pathways
• Spatial Metaphor: Horizon, Ground, World
• Field: Carriers One is Normally Exposed to,
& Sources One Normally Consults = Context
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
Pathways for Genetics Advice
Summary and Implications
• Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing
Summary and Implications
• Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing
• Prime Opportunity for R&D to Help People
Summary and Implications
• Studies of Patients & Health are Increasing
• Prime Opportunity for R&D to Help People
• Wide Variety of Relevant Theories, Models
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)
Comments? Questions?
Thanks for Your Attention.