Main categories |
Subcategories |
Definition [8] |
Types of information-seeking behaviour |
Passive attention |
‘Such as listening to the radio or watching television programmes, where information acquisition may take place without intentional seeking’ |
Passive searching |
‘Signifies those occasions when one type of search (or other behaviour) results in the acquisition of information that happens to be relevant to the individual’ |
Active searching |
Active searching is ‘where an individual actively seeks out information’ |
Ongoing searching |
‘Where active searching has already established the basic framework of knowledge, ideas, beliefs or values, but where occasional continuing search is carried out to update or expand one’s framework’ |
Intervening variables |
Psychological |
Psychological intervening variables include, e.g. cognitive dissonance, cognitive and emotional characteristics |
Demographic |
Demographic intervening variables cover, e.g. age and sex |
Role-related or interpersonal |
Role-related or interpersonal intervening variables cover, e.g. social systems, requirements and level of responsibility |
Environmental |
Environmental intervening variables cover, e.g. time, geography and national cultures |
Source characteristics |
Source characteristics cover, e.g. access, credibility and the channel of communication |