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Objectives: To examine college students' conflicting COVID-19 information exposure, information-seeking, concern, and cognitive functioning. Participants: 179 undergraduates were recruited in March-April 2020, and 220 in September 2020 (Samples 1 and 2, respectively). Methods: Students completed the Attention Network Test, NASA Task Load Index, and COVID-related questions. Results: In Sample 1, exposure to conflicting information predicted poorer attentional performance and greater COVID-related information-seeking and concern; concern was correlated with workload. In Sample 2, conflicting information was associated with information-seeking. In Sample 1, but not Sample 2, cognitive effects of conflicting information were mediated by information-seeking and virus-related concern. Conclusions: Conflicting COVID-19 information may undermine students' cognitive functions, bearing implications for health, academic performance, and stress. Strategies for countering these effects include enhancing the clarity of institutional messaging, and tailoring course curricula and offering workshops to students, faculty, administrators, and counseling staff to augment students' capacity to comprehend and utilize COVID-related communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two ways for a situation to be uncertain. Subjective uncertainty refers to not knowing facts. Objective uncertainty refers to future events that have not been determined yet. A wide ranging literature review finds that subjective uncertainty inhibits behavior, increases conserving resources and willpower, and stimulates search for information – though in crude, sometimes dysfunctional fashion. In contrast, objective uncertainty calls for action, reflected in agentic control, increased arousal, and greater willingness to take risks. Again, some responses are irrational, such as exerting more effort for less expected reward, and betting more on uncontrollable future than past events. With both kinds of uncertainty, attention is mobilized and emotion is prolonged. Our review uncovered multiple signs that some uncertainty is beneficial and heightens enjoyment as a kind of spice of life, or, in some cases, as a welcome hope that a bad outcome might still be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content descriptions presented on sensitive-content screens reduce how often people view negative images. But does this reduction in exposure come at an emotional cost? Across two experiments, we investigated this possibility. In Experiment 1, we compared participants’ change in state anxiety when exposed to sensitive-content screens with and without brief and detailed content descriptions. State anxiety was similar for participants who saw screens with and without brief content descriptions, but we found larger increases in state anxiety for detailed content descriptions. Therefore, detailed content descriptions negatively impact how people feel when they view sensitive-content screens. In Experiment 2, we presented participants with a single sensitive-content screen, either with or without a brief content description, and gave them the opportunity to uncover it. Participants who uncovered the screen viewed the negative image and then rated their distress. Most participants uncovered the screen and, irrespective of condition, reported similar image-related distress. Taken together, brief descriptions do not negatively impact how people feel when they view sensitive-content screens or the forewarned content. Therefore, brief content descriptions do not create an emotional cost. Social media platforms should move beyond merely warning about upcoming content and provide brief content descriptions indicating what the content depicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnant women often turn to the internet as a primary source of pregnancy-related information. However, there is great concern about the accuracy of health-related information on the internet, making research on women's internet behaviours and decision-making critically important. Previous research has been conducted within a number of distinct but related fields, yet existing review papers have often failed to connect across the various disciplines. This review aims to synthesise the large and cross-disciplinary body of literature on women's health information-seeking internet behaviour regarding pregnancy and childbirth. A narrative literature review, which includes research from both health and social sciences, was conducted. Findings address the 'who, where, what, why, and how' of information-seeking behaviour on the internet, with suggestions for future research in each area further discussed. Additional research which addresses the remaining gaps in the literature can help providers be more aware of their patients' informational needs. Providers can be an important source of information, while also helping guide their patients on how to evaluate information. Enhanced patient portals and communication platforms can help to provide more timely and reliable information. Providing their patients with guides can be important for fostering enhanced health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African immigrants in the United States have contributed to a culturally and linguistically diverse US population. This also implies an increase in health disparities as minority populations experience a higher prevalence of communicable diseases that are closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantages. Although African immigrants are more likely to be educated, they are also more likely to be challenged by factors associated with cultural differences, language skills, lower health literacy, and access to health information and care services. The purpose of this study was to examine if media use, including social media usage and other communication-related factors (health literacy, eHealth literacy, and health information seeking) influenced their motivations for the prevention of communicable diseases. Based on the Protective Motivation Theory, the study also examined the influence of communication-related factors on threat appraisal (risk perception, vulnerability, and perceived seriousness), coping appraisal (self-efficacy and response efficacy), and risk-reduction behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the risk of COVID-19, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were staged without spectators for the first time in modern Olympic history. Health risks, including pandemics such as COVID-19 and SARS, have caused a serious concern for event participants, stakeholders, and tourists. While seeking information on risks posed by particular destinations is an essential step when making travel decisions, especially during a pandemic, there is limited sport tourism research that scrutinized the relationship between prospective travellers' health risk perceptions in the specific context of COVID-19. This article examines the relationship between prospective spectators' risk perception toward COVID-19 and their information-seeking about the virus, with a specific focus on the moderating effect of spectators' risk-taking tendency in the context of their intention to attend the Games. The study involved a survey of 240 South Korean and 286 American prospective spectators. Prospective spectators perceived COVID-19 as a source of severe risk, significantly decreasing their intention to travel to the destination. This study found positive associations between COVID-19 risk perception and information-seeking and between information-seeking and intent to attend. The results imply that information-seeking regarding the pandemic in the host region is an important predictor of prospective spectators' attendance because seeking information demonstrates an intention to attend despite a perception of high risk. Furthermore, this paper makes a cross-national comparison of the implications of the moderating role of an individual's risk-taking tendency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expectant mothers use various information resources when making health decisions. Resources include health professionals, eHealth resources, printed materials, family and friends. Pregnancy and parenting are times of constant change, driving information needs and are considered a context-rich area in which to study information behaviour. This exploratory research study examines what health-related information resources expectant mothers seek, how they process and utilise them. One key contribution of this research is a classification of Information Use, which includes three types: 1) Information Use as Access, 2) Information Use as Processing, and 3) Information Use as Outcomes. Leveraging this classification, we design and distribute an exploratory questionnaire. The results highlight that health professionals and eHealth resources are the most used and influential information resources for expectant mothers. The article also presents a list of criteria used to evaluate eHealth resources. Finally, we highlight the cognitive, affective, and behavioural information use outcomes experienced by expectant mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the pedagogical discussion on how to promote critical thinking among adolescents in modern media environments. It argues that teachers play an essential role in guiding students' assessment of and decision between credible information sources. The study was carried out among eighth-grade health education teachers and students in a secondary school in Finland. Nexus analysis was used as a theoretical lens with which to analyze lesson observation data and teacher interviews. The findings indicate that teachers moved fluently between the informational authority roles of a cognitive authority and a trustee. Moments of perplexity in which teachers were not able to act in these informational authority roles created tension in the classroom; however, they also promoted diversified learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical faculty are among the most important user groups at any academic medical library. Knowing how medical faculty identify, access, and use information is important for collection development and instruction. This study found that medical faculty at an institution in Qatar identified information access and use as vital in their professional duties. However, they also noted limitations that warrant attention by the library to better serve this user group. Further, the results of this study were compared to a similar study of medical faculty in the United States, with noted similarities and differences in their access and use of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two different analysis techniques, this study explored differences and similarities in information-seeking discourse and overall breast cancer experiences between posters to a Reddit board and breast cancer survivor focus groups. This study incorporates two qualitative methods for determining themes in breast cancer survivors' information-seeking behaviours and overall cancer experiences. First, posts from a breast cancer-specific Reddit community were extracted and analysed using the meaning extraction method (MEM) to determine core themes. Then, investigators performed a thematic analysis of two focus groups of breast cancer survivors (N = 18). Finally, themes derived from each analysis method were compared. Outcome measures include themes extracted from Reddit posts and themes generated from breast cancer survivor focus groups. Findings between qualitative methodologies represent similar yet nuanced themes in survivors' discourse. The MEM resulted in seven themes: diagnosis, treatment process, social support, existentialism, risk, information-seeking and surgery. Focus groups revealed the same initial four MEM themes plus the following: disclosure, coping and fears. The MEM is a cost-effective research mechanism for informing common themes of experiences of cancer patients and survivors and may offer initial data to guide psychosocial oncology research design and recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central tenet in theoretical work on metacognition is that retrieval experiences during memory search can exert control over behaviour. States of curiosity, which reflect motivational tendencies to seek out information, may play a critical role in this control function. We conducted two experiments to address this idea, focusing on links between feeling-of knowing (FOK) experiences, memory-search duration, and subsequent information-seeking behaviour. We administered an episodic FOK paradigm that probed memory for previously studied face-name pairs, and subsequently provided an opportunity to select limited pairs for restudy. This set-up allowed us to test whether current search duration and subsequent restudy choices are biased towards items with high FOK ratings. Results revealed a positive relationship between FOK ratings and the response times of these judgements. We observed a similar positive relationship between FOK ratings and subsequent item selection for restudy. Moreover, experimental manipulations of FOK ratings based on familiarity of the face cues also had parallel effects. Our findings suggest that metacognitive experiences during unsuccessful retrieval from episodic memory can induce states of curiosity that shape behaviour beyond the immediate retrieval context. Curiosity may act as a bond to ensure that memory gaps identified through unsuccessful retrieval adaptively guide future learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When searching for information in response to a query, their own library's online public access catalog (OPAC) and databases remain the most preferred resource for most aquatic science librarians. This preference does not vary regardless of age, gender, educational degree, position or designation, country classification, or type of library. While the Internet acts as a supplement to the library collection, whenever the requested information is not available at the library, librarians prefer Googling instead of looking at other sources. Other than aquatic science-specific open access repositories and databases, some of the librarians have identified Google Scholar, DOAJ, ResearchGate, and Academia, among many others as valuable resources that help them fulfill their clientele's query. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual attention serves to select relevant visual information. However, observers often first need to find out what is relevant. Little is known about this information-seeking process and how it affects attention. We employed a cued visual search task in combination with eye tracking to investigate which oculomotor measures reflect the acquisition of information for a subsequent task. A cue indicated as to which target to look for in a following search display. Cue-target combinations were repeated several times, enabling learning of the target. We found that reductions in cue fixation times and saccade size provided stable indices of learning. Despite the learning, participants continued to attend to repeated cues. Several factors contribute to people attending to information they already know: First, the information value provided by the cue continues to drive attention. Second, even in the absence of information value, attention continues to be directed to cue features that previously signalled relevant information. Third, the decision to attend to a known cue depends on cognitive effort. We propose that this combination of information value, previous relevance, and effort is best captured within an information-seeking framework, and that oculomotor parameters provide a useful proxy for uncovering these factors and their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty experienced by college students can have serious repercussions for their success and subsequent retention. Drawing parallels between instructional context and organizational context will enrich theory and research about students' experiences of uncertainty in their college courses. Therefore, this study used Uncertainty Management Theory to explore how students manage their uncertainty about college courses with their classmates. Overall, the results suggest that although students experience uncertainty mostly related to their academic needs, their uncertainty management focuses more on their socioemotional needs. In managing their uncertainty, students rely on direct communication with their peers, which suggests the importance of considering uncertainty management as a relational activity as opposed to an independent activity. Given this, instructors can facilitate classroom climates and activities that allow students to establish relationships with one another and work interdependently to achieve their academic goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent school shootings have generated ongoing pressure to assess and enhance crisis communication effectiveness via strategies such as resilience-building and post-crisis restoration. A network perspective offers a robust, multilevel approach for examining complex information flows among community, campus, and individual actors affected by crises. Drawing on relational and structural embeddedness and Uncertainty Management Theory, we offer nine propositions that help explain structural and relational changes in a network over time. Although theoretically driven, these propositions are primarily functional, offering practical implications for safety officials and administrators trying to understand, prepare for, and respond to crises. Thus, we suggest measures and recommendations to improve information flow, uncertainty management, and resilience before, during, and after a crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The process of information- and inspiration-seeking behaviour amongst artists and designers often involve direct observation, note-taking, collecting materials and image samples, recognising styles, analysing movements, patterns, textures, as well as experimenting with different materials and techniques. They also rely heavily on having access to a variety of visual resources, both physical and digital, during the process of inspiration-seeking. However, there have been few studies on how art and design students look for and use information in the digital age, especially in the context of the library. This paper reports on an empirical study of the inspiration-seeking process and other information-related behaviour of students at the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). An online questionnaire was created to ask the HKDI students specific questions: the types of library preferred; students' comfort level with the HKDI Library; student respondents' information needs; and their preferred sources for inspiration. They were also asked which media and venues they looked to for information that was important to their creative process. A total of 327 current students at the HKDI completed the survey. The research findings suggest that information-seeking behaviour of the art and design students was reflective of the fluid and creative nature of the art and design domain. They were regular users of traditional printed resources as well as the physical libraries. They also placed heavy reliance on the Internet and a variety of social networks when it came to inspiration-seeking. Inspiration was found from a very diverse and ‘idiosyncratic’ set of sources; often via accidental discovery. The students' status as emergent practitioners also suggested a strong need for career advice and interactions with peers practicing in the art and design field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our objective was to investigate information-seeking behaviour in patients with ALS and their caregivers and their rating of the usefulness of different information sources in Germany. Surveys were made on 106 patients and 100 caregivers in two university ALS outpatient clinics. Before seeing a doctor, 28% of patients and 23% of caregivers had used other sources to find symptom related information, mostly the internet. Although two-thirds were satisfied with the means of diagnosis disclosure, 88% of patients and 85% of caregivers searched for additional information, most often the internet (patients 72%, caregivers 85%), followed by patient brochures (patients 58%, caregivers 66%). Internet, patient brochures and the 'German Neuromuscular Disease Society' were rated most frequently as useful/very useful. Traditional print media and interpersonal contacts were also frequently used and most respondents relied on more than one source for information. Only few respondents used the internet for exchange with other patients. Two-thirds wanted to discuss web contents with their physician. In conclusion, patients with ALS and their caregivers clearly have additional information needs. Besides traditional information sources, the internet is frequently used. Therefore, reliable and useful websites should be provided. Patients' and caregivers' need to discuss their findings with the physician should be acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores how resettling refugees experience a new health environment and develop health literacy practice. The concept of information resilience, which emerges from the grounded experiences of learning to live well is introduced. The study also explores how health narratives are constructed, disseminated and circulated by this particular cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 154 foreign workers in Saudi Arabia responded to a web survey that inquired about role characteristics, work attitudes and behaviors. Surveys were matched with 138 supervisor surveys asking about the focal worker's job performance. Results indicated a significant relationship between role ambiguity and job performance, a relationship mediated by organizational identification, which was moderated by both information-seeking and perceived organizational support. This research is one of only a few studies of professional workers in Saudi Arabia (both male and female). Furthermore, this study is one of a handful of studies to explore the attitudes and performance of foreign workers, a worker population often confounded in studies that focus on domestic, expatriate or inpatriate workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the impact of a curriculum designed to increase first year college student political engagement. We used a staggered implementation design in which eight classes of traditional first year college students in were taught a political engagement curriculum by two instructors. The results confirm the positive impact of the political engagement curriculum above and beyond a rhetoric and composition curriculum for traditional first-year college students on important political indicators such as internal political efficacy and attentiveness and interest in politics. Further, participants exhibited significant post-intervention differences with regard to their comfort level joining political conversations as well as employing important conversational strategies to strengthen democratic dialogue. These results support the use of this curriculum to increase first year college students’ political engagement and underscore the impact that classroom curriculum and instruction can have promoting a deliberative and active citizenry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Experiment 1, forty 10-month-old infants participated together with an experimenter and a parent in a social referencing encounter. The experimenter or the parent presented an ambiguous toy. Neither of the adults provided information about the toy in order to examine infant spontaneous looking behaviour. The infants looked more at both adults when the experimenter presented the toy. In Experiment 2, forty-four 10-month-old infants participated. The experimenter or the parent provided positive information about an ambiguous toy. The infants played more with the toy when the experimenter provided information than when the parent did. The results are discussed in terms of seeking information from knowledgeable others in ambiguous situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing an empirical base to flesh out the notion of 'information capital', this article charts the elusive linkages between information-seeking practices, vocational preferences, and information-opportunity structures. Drawing on data from focus group interviews with over 300 advantaged and disadvantaged students, the research examines the information-seeking practices and circumstances of students attending high schools in an agricultural region of California. The article outlines a novel typology of four distinctive information-seeking situations: Internet-reliant information-seeking (IRIS), personal community-reliant information-seeking (PCRIS), educator-reliant information-seeking (ERIS), and multi-channel information-seeking (MCIS). Each of these situations brings together particular information-seeking strategies with specific vocational and educational preferences and particular information-opportunity structures. The four groups of information-seekers exhibit distinctive internalized stances towards what they define as appropriate information-seeking strategies and useful information-channels for educational and career planning. Illustrating these patterns, the article uncovers the connections between students' educational and career aspirations, on the one hand, and their online and offline information-seeking strategies, on the other hand. By drawing these connections, the analysis provides rich empirical scaffolding for the concepts of information-channel preferences and information-opportunity structures as they relate to information capital, concepts which have remained empirically underdeveloped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The authors examined the sources of health information among first-year university students and whether the predictors of information-seeking varied by information source. Participants: First-year students in a required course at a midwestern public university were eligible to participate, and 82% (n = 1,060) completed the study. Methods: Students completed a survey questionnaire regarding information-seeking behaviors and Internet uses in domains including health. The authors used regression analyses to examine predictors of source-specific health information-seeking. Results: Young women are much more likely than young men to seek health information. The characteristics associated with looking online for health information are different than those for using other information sources, and students who look online for health information also report greater use of other information sources. Conclusions: Although the Internet is an important source of health information for students, health professionals should be aware that not all students equally utilize this resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between gender and technology demands more than simply tracking the numbers of women and men online or lists of their activities. Gender theorists call for more research into how and why women perform certain online activities, emphasizing the role of identity and the importance of context on perceptions and behavior. In order to examine the influence of gender in everyday online activities, this project examines women's perceptions of the internet within a specific context: looking for a job. It asks, how do perceptions of the internet influence women's techniques and strategies in navigating gender barriers and affordances in a job search? Interviews with 20 women looking for jobs online reveal that associations between gender and technologies and between gender and occupations can affect the job search process at various stages, including how and where people look for jobs, which jobs they apply to, and feelings of confidence and interest. Three characteristics of the internet emerged as central to women's strategies for navigating gender associations: (1) the volume and range of information online; (2) productivity and efficiency; and (3) anonymity. These characteristics are aspects of the ways in which the internet can both improve and limit women's online job searches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of health literacy, self-efficacy, and fetal health locus of control to health information-seeking in low-income pregnant women and the contribution from each factor alone or in combination to the variance in health information-seeking. This was a cross-sectional study of 143 English-speaking pregnant women who were recruited from a prenatal clinic and were 18 years of age or older in 2007-2008. Health literacy, self-efficacy, fetal health locus of control, and health information-seeking were measured using the Short Form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, the Health Information Competence Scale, the Fetal Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Pregnancy Health Information-Seeking Scale. Health literacy was not significantly correlated with health information-seeking. Self-efficacy (r = .33) and internal fetal health locus of control (r = .27) demonstrated significant correlations with health information-seeking, and together they accounted for 15% of the variance in health information-seeking. After controlling for covariates, self-efficacy (p = .0006) and internal fetal health locus of control (p = .03) remained significantly associated with health information-seeking. In conclusion, pregnant women's characteristics, such as self-efficacy and internal fetal health locus of control belief, are associated with their health information-seeking during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on trends in distance education (DE), as they relate to the needs of faculty and students who are teaching and learning through DE modalities. Reviews of changes in student use patterns, faculty expectations of library services, and recommendations for librarians and information specialists are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication theory is ideally suited to advance systematic forms of knowledge about workplace safety. The focus of this research is to examine workplace safety using health communication theory and research. A field study using a random sample of production workers (n=645) in a manufacturing organization was conducted, to investigate individuals' risk perception and efficacy beliefs and to validate the predictions of the risk perception attitude framework. Results were consistent with the theory, as risk and efficacy jointly predicted safety behavior, behavioral intentions, and safety information-seeking intentions. Given a particular level of risk, those with greater efficacy beliefs displayed more positive safety outcomes than those with lower efficacy beliefs. The responsive group (high risk, high efficacy) reported safer outcomes than the avoidant group (high risk, low efficacy) and the proactive group (low risk, high efficacy) reported safer outcomes than the indifferent group (low risk, low efficacy). This theoretical frame provides practical directions as to what shapes the safety behaviors and communication patterns of workers in dangerous jobs and offers insights for safety information-seeking and workplace safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this review is to discuss how existing models of information behaviour may help to improve provision of information to carers of people with dementia. The article analyses existing models of information behaviour derived from information science, describes studies that have examined these models in relation to health and discusses ways in which they help to understand the information behaviours of carers of people with dementia. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature on studies of information needs and a critical examination of models of information behaviours in relation to health were undertaken. Results: Two dominant paradigms in information science research were identified, involving system-centred and user-centred approaches. System-centred approaches and studies are limited in that they have made assumptions on the types of information that people may require, the way in which information should be provided, the timing of information provision and have homogenous treated groups, failing to take account of individual preferences. In contrast, user-centred approaches recognise the unique needs of individuals and that information needs are subjective and affected by a variety of factors. User-centred models of information behaviour, particularly Dervin's sense-making theory and Wilson's Information Seeking Behaviour Models, could be useful in developing a better understanding of the information behaviours of carers of people with dementia. Conclusion: Adopting a user-centred approach to study the information behaviours of carers of people with dementia will take account of individual needs. Testing existing models of information behaviour within this group may help to develop interventions to meet the needs of individual carers and people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even in the face of widespread domestic use of electronic materials, books within public libraries remain an important source of information for many youngsters. This paper draws on the re- suits of a qualitative English study broadly concerned with young people's information behavior to explore how youngsters locate non-fiction books within such libraries. One of several approaches was taken. Familiar with the placement of materials on the subject of the need, some went directly to the appropriate part of the collection. Others did not know the position of the desired section and combed the shelves randomly, consulted labels on the shelves/walls, sought help from staff or exploited the subject index. Most users wanted information on a certain topic, not a particular item. There were high levels of ignorance of both library terminology and the arrangement of books within the building. The article concludes by making recommendations for both practice and future research, based on the investigation `s findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]