Jessica R. Buchanan
Dr. Kazmer
LIS5203 – Assessing Information
Needs
February 28, 2012
Analyzing
Information Behavior
My
Information Behavior
When I was in my Master’s courses
for education we learned a strategy where we designed lesson plans from the end
to the beginning. We started with our end goal of the learning outcome and
worked backwards to help us understand how we could achieve that goal. I tend
to do much of my research in the same way. I try to determine what my end goal
is and then I work backwards in my research to figure out how I can get there.
The best example I can think to
show this process is my quest for the answer to the ultimate question, “What do
you want to be when you grow up?” When I was 18, if you had asked me that
question, I would have said: I want to be a wife and a mom. When that didn’t
pan out I figured it was time to try something different. Ten years later, with
two degrees and no idea what I was going to do next, I set out on a search for
a new life’s goal.
I consistently found myself coming
back to the idea of library science. I believe this interest stemmed from the
three years I spent working as a student worker in my college library. When I
started my search I knew there was more to it than just, “I want to be a
librarian”. I started doing job searches for library positions in higher
education. I would spend hours searching on the HigherEdJobs website scanning
through positions and their qualifications. I discovered the positions I
gravitated towards were those in archives and special collections. Once I made
this realization I started paying close attention to the qualifications these
specific job positions required. What kind of education would I need? How many
years of experience? Were there additional qualities these types of positions
demanded?
In several cases, a deeper
understanding of the items held within a special collection was needed and this
led me to consider education beyond the MLIS. My greatest passion is early
American literature so I began searching for PhD programs that would have that
as a focus. I ended up coming across the American Studies Association website and
began looking at their links for education. I feel that, after much research
into the programs, I have now narrowed my choices down to three universities
that offer a PhD in American Studies and also have an emphasis on using the
degree in a museum setting.
I know that life happens and that
there is a chance, whether through circumstances or further research, that I
may decide to go in a different direction. I also know my searches generally
lead me to more questions, which in turn take me to more specific answers. I
believe that I am only at the beginning of this information seeking endeavor
but I think as we take a closer look at this behavior we will see how the
information seeking process is quite a journey in itself.
How Does
This Behavior Relate to Information?
Information
“What you don’t know has power
over you; knowing it brings it under your control, and makes it subject to your
choice. Ignorance makes real choice impossible” (Abraham Maslow). Without
information we are forced to stay within a realm of ignorance. It is vital to
understand that information affects the human mind and must do so in order to
be information (Case 66). As we take a look at the information behavior written
above we can see that it has everything to do with giving myself the ability to
make an informed decision. I was looking for information that would affect me
and give me the best chances at understanding the choices I had before me.
Information
Needs
Looking at the scenario above you
see a clearly defined need for information. This need stems from what Taylor
refers to as a “vague sort of dissatisfaction” (182). I know there is something
out there I would be excellent at. I know I am highly motivated and that I have
a rather diverse skill set. Knowing this does not provide me with a clear
understanding of what I want to be when I grow up. Having this void leaves me
wanting to bridge the gap and move from a visceral need to a conscious and
formalized need (Case 72). It’s not just knowing there is uncertainty, it is
understanding that uncertainty and trying to decrease it. I am an extremely
logical person and thus work from an if/then methodology. This type of behavior
demonstrates I am working towards “the key factor…that knowing [something] will
put me at, or closer to, an end state that I want to achieve” (Case 69). My
information need is driving me to find the answers.
Information
Seeking
My general approach to figuring
out my career goals was seen as a more practical way than just working “off the
cuff”. Of course, up until this point many of my career choices have been made
based on the opportunities that came my way as opposed to the result of careful
and concise research. I think this is why, over the last few years, I have made
myself take the time to evaluate where I have been and where I would like to
go. When I do any type of research, whether it is to look for the answer to
what I want to be when I grow up or figuring out the angle of my research
paper, I start by browsing. Case discusses how browsing can lead to
serendipitous findings (90). I have always found this method to produce the
greatest amount of clarity in refining my quest for information. With this type
of research method I find myself constantly redefining what it is that I am
actually looking for. Taylor discusses this as a negotiation, where at first we
think we know what it is we are searching for, but once exposed to new
information the direction of our information seeking may change (179).
Information
Behavior
I feel that my information seeking
behaviors show that I prefer to break things down and get to a solid answer. I
realize that this is not always possible. I like answers, but sometimes answers
are not found, or sometimes it takes longer to find those answers. In a world
of immediacy we are used to having knowledge at our fingertips, when this is
not possible, it can lead to a defeatist attitude. I believe this is my biggest
information problem. I like to get to the answers as quickly as possible, and
when that doesn’t happen, it is very easy to either give up, or just go in
another direction. I would imagine with the wealth of information out there, I
am not the only one who feels this way. Hopefully, understanding how we seek
information and the problems we face individually will allow us to better help
others when they face similar situations.
Using a
Theory and Model to Analyze My Information Behavior
The Social Cognitive Theory posits
a triadic reciprocal causation that melds intrapersonal, cognitive/behavioral,
and environmental influences (Bandura 3, Fisher, et al 54). Within this context
Bandura also explains that the environmental influences are either imposed,
selected or constructed (3). Each individual has those things which they cannot
control, the unexpected environmental changes that affect outcomes. There are
also environmental influences which we choose, whether it is the groups we are
involved in or the friends we surround ourselves with. Then you have those
environments which you construct in order to create the most appeasing
environment for yourself (i.e. networking in order to have better connections
to get you where you want to go). Being aware of these environmental influences
will make us more aware of how and even why one seeks information in a specific
way.
Another component that works
within this theory is that of self-efficacy, or rather, how we see our own
capabilities in regards to the tasks at hand. Understanding that each
individual has strengths and weaknesses helps to determine a user’s
self-efficacy in regards to their ability to seek information. Knowing that
these strengths and weaknesses exist and that they influence ones self-efficacy
teaches us that this belief in our own capability is subject to change rather than
being a fixed variable in our information behavior (Bandura 5). One topic of
self-efficacy that Bandura brings up is that of resilient self-efficacy,
learning how to accept failure and gain something from it rather than focusing
on the failure as defeat (5). It is important for individuals to understand how
to navigate around road-blocks so that their attitude towards seeking
information remains positive. This is important in that, if they do not learn
how to obtain resilience they are likely to continue on with a pessimistic
outlook. Users whose outcome expectations have positive results tend to
continue using the same behaviors and stay away from those behaviors they
believe will lead them to negative results (“Network Competence” 219).
Analyzing My
Behavior Using the Social Cognitive Theory
Understanding
the three types of influences in the Social Cognitive Theory brings to the
foreground concepts we are aware of but do not always think on. While I may be
aware of who I am, how I think and the environments that surround me, I am not
always consciously thinking about how they influence my information behavior.
Taking into consideration who I am as an individual it is not surprising that I
look for information in a logical way. I like for things to be orderly and
concise and my information behavior reflects that. My logical approach to most
things in my life also fits into the cognitive/behavioral influences that guide
my information seeking behaviors. When it comes to my environmental influences
it is due to my background in education and my aptitude for scholarly endeavors
that I tend to gravitate towards scholarly and substantiated resources.
I
think it is important to note the different types of environmental influences
mentioned in the Social Cognitive Theory. I mentioned earlier that “either
through circumstances or further research” I may choose to move in a different
direction. I believe it is of importance
to note that there are unknown variables in life and no matter how much
planning and research one does, it cannot account for happenstance. Taking into
consideration the environments I choose to place myself in I would go back to the
scholarly approach I just mentioned. I prefer to surround myself with
intelligence, and would even say that I prefer to be surrounded by people who are
more intelligent than I am. This is due in large part to my belief that
intelligence is a learned behavior. I surround myself with these types of
people, occurrences, and places because I believe this will encourage me to
always strive for a higher level. This then leads into the environments I
construct for myself. Wanting to be a part of different circles of intelligence,
I am creating for myself an environment that will breed the opportunities and
life that I would prefer to have.
Now that I have analyzed my
influences and environments I can then begin to formulate an understanding of
my self-efficacy. My information behavior is greatly influenced by my previous
experiences with information seeking. Knowing that working from the end result
to find the steps I need to take is directly related to the success that I have
seen in my previous efforts. It is interesting to note my discussion about how
the immediacy of information breeds a demand for quicker results and how,
without those immediate results, one can give way to a defeatist, or
pessimistic attitude toward their information seeking endeavor. Understanding
this shows us that we have the ability to change our outlook if we keep this
theory in mind.
Savolainen
Model of Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)
The
Savolainen Model is concerned with what he terms “way of life”. This is an
individual’s internalized system for decision making that is influenced by
social and cultural factors (“Everyday Life” 261) (Case 130). This way of life
is directly related to “order of things” or better stated, how we choose to
live our everyday lives. “Things” refers to the activities we engage in on a
daily basis, both necessary and pleasurable, while “order” refers to the
priority we give to said activities (“Everyday Life” 262). Most people tend to
have a “cognitive order”, or a way in which they are used to keeping their “order
of things” (“Everyday Life” 262).
For
one’s order of things to continue it is important to develop a “Mastery of Life”.
This Mastery of Life comes from a need to keep the order of things consistent.
Due to unforeseen obstacles there can be disturbances in an individual’s order
of things and to limit or reverse negative outcomes, one must learn how to
actively keep things in order (“Everyday Life 264). This is what is known as Mastery
of Life. The Savolainen Model postulates that our development of Mastery of
Life is directly related to our values, and social, cultural, and socio-economic
capital, as well as our current life situations (“Everyday Life” 264) (Case
131).
The
model then goes on to state that there are different types of Mastery of Life.
There is the optimistic-cognitive who leans towards a positive outlook on
problem solving and believes that through extensive research any user can find
the most efficient way to satisfy their information need (“Everyday Life” 265).
You then have the pessimistic-cognitive who searches in the same way as the
optimistic-cognitive, using logical search methods, but has a negative outlook
and little to no hope of ever finding answers (“Everyday Life” 265). The next
type is defensive-affective which approaches their information seeking from a
positive perspective but is not grounded in realistic expectations and may fall
into the trap of “wishful thinking” as opposed to “realistic considerations” (“Everyday
Life” 266). The fourth type is pessimistic-affective and this type can be
summed up in the term “learned helplessness” (“Everyday Life” 266). These types
tend to avoid looking for answers and just going with whatever comes their way
with little to no effort at trying to better their situations.
Analyzing My
Behavior Using the Savolainen Model
Taking into consideration my “way
of life” and “order of things” I think it is interesting to note how my
information behavior is influenced by what I deem as priority. Knowing that I
did not have to make an immediate decision about my future career choice
allowed me to be more precise and to take more time researching my fields of
interest. To keep my order of things I have learned at which times I need to
make choices. When it came to selecting my Masters program it was more of a
time sensitive decision due to the fact that my GRE scores were about to
expire. Whereas, I currently have a job I enjoy, that pays decent and has great
benefits so I am not faced with the immediacy of making a career choice now.
The Savolainen Model is considered
to have a longer time frame and takes into account personal and situational
factors, which is why my research into career choices can be reworked through
this model over the next few years (Case 132). I will face different outside
factors that will cause me to employ Mastery of Life and be able keep my order
of things. Understanding the different types of Mastery of Life I would
classify myself as an optimistic-cognitive. Without a doubt, I choose to employ
logical methodology in the way I conduct research. I also tend to have an optimistic
outlook on the possibilities of finding a solution. That being said, I did
mention there are times when I feel a defeatist attitude creeping in, but if I
can encourage myself to understand these behaviors and take active measures to
eliminate a pessimistic attitude I can make my way to better information
outcomes.
My Analyses
and Their Affect
Comparing and
Contrasting my Analyses
There were many similarities
between the theory and the model I chose to work with in regards to my
information behavior. Both touch on the intrapersonal component; Social
Cognitive Theory considers it to be one of the three main influences we have in
our lives and the Savolainen Model refers to it as our habitus (“Everyday Life
261). While they do not use the same terminology, both the theory and the model
talk about environments. The imposed environments are those things which are
thrust upon us. They are the factors we cannot control and both the model and
theory explain how these influence our decisions. The model emphasizes the need
to employ Mastery of Life in order to face these unanticipated situations. Both
model and theory also discuss constructed environments. Savolainen states “through
their choices, individuals have practically engaged in a certain order of
things, and it is in their interest to keep that order as long as they find it
meaningful” (“Everyday Life” 263). While the theory takes into consideration
the selected environment, which is chosen, I found it interesting that in
contrast the model speaks of the environment into which we are born. Taking
values, capitol and life situations into account, the model speaks to how these
surrounding environments affect our decision making and information seeking
behaviors.
Self-efficacy
as discussed in the theory can relate to the types of Mastery of Life that are
discussed in the model. Both self-efficacy and types of Mastery of Life are grounded
in the outlook one has towards their information seeking. While these are
similar, it is important to note their differences. Self-efficacy has to do
with one’s own abilities and in contrast the types of Mastery of Life have to
do with how one seeks information. Self-efficacy varies based on the individual’s
own belief in their ability. When I have extensive knowledge of a certain
subject my efficacy will be high, but when I have little to no knowledge of a
subject that efficacy can begin to decrease and affects the information outcomes.
The types of Mastery of Life are fixed. They are the way individuals approach
information and, while they can be changed, are generally habitual.
How the
Theory and Model Affect Interpretation
As I stated earlier, the
concepts discussed in both theory and model are things that we already know,
but do not always think about. Keeping these things in mind made me more aware
of how and why I chose to seek information in a specific way. Understanding
that our environments are a major factor in decision making can help us put an emphasis
on paying attention to those environments. This is especially true for the
selected and constructed environments discussed in the theory.
I
found it to be interesting how, when reading through the literature, I would
compare what I had written about my behavior to the theory and model. This was
extremely evident when reading through the different types of Mastery of Life.
Also, I found self-efficacy to be an important concept that one should keep in
the forefront of their mind when doing research, especially the thought of resiliency
and learning out to work with negative outcomes.
Usefulness in
Explanation of Behavior
I
can see how working within theories and models can give us a better
understanding of our information seeking behaviors. I found both theory and
model to be extremely useful in bringing to light the granularity of
information seeking behaviors. Breaking down how information flows through a
model, or how different aspects discussed in a theory can influence our
behaviors is of great importance. Knowing that my need for perfect, concise and
logical information is a part of who I am and determines the way I seek information
will help me understand my behaviors in future endeavors.
I believe, more than anything,
that analyzing my own information behavior is useful in helping me understand
other’s information behaviors. If I can understand through these theories and
models how different factors can influence and affect the way we seek
information and how we approach I can learn to better provide assistance to
those who are seeking information themselves. I believe that is the most useful
that I can take away from this.
Works Cited
Bandura, Albert. "On the Functional Properties
of Perceived Self-Efficacy Revisited."Journal of Management. 38.1 (2012): 9-44. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.
Case, D. O.
(2008). Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking,
Needs and Behavior. 2nd ed. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
Fisher,
Karen E, Sanda Erdelez, and Lynne McKechnie. Theories of Information Behavior. Medford, N.J: Published for the American Society
for Information Science and Technology by Information Today, 2005. Print.
Savolainen, Reijo. “Everyday Life
Information Seeking: Approaching Information Seeking in the Context of “Way of
Life”.” Library & Information
Science Research (07408188) 17. (1995):259-294.
Savolainen,
Reijo. “Network Competence and Information Seeking on The Internet: From Definitions
Towards a Social Cognitive Mode.” Journal
of Documentation 58.2 (2002): 211-226. Library
Literature &Information Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Feb.
2012.
Taylor, R. S.
(1968). Question-Negotiation and Information Seeking in Libraries. College
& Research Libraries, 29(3), 178-194.
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