Is My Effort Worth It? Investigating the Dual Effects of Search Cost on Search Utility

Fei Liu, Bo Xiao, Eric T. K. Lim, Chee-Wee Tan

    Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferencebidrag i proceedingsForskningpeer review

    Abstract

    Inefficiencies associated with online information search are becoming increasingly prevalent in digital environments due to a surge in Consumer Generated Content (CGC). Despite growing scholarly interest in investigating information search behavior and practical demands to optimize users’ search experience, there is a paucity of studies that investigate the impact of search features on search outcomes. We therefore draw on Information Foraging Theory (IFT) to disentangle the dual role of search cost in shaping the utility of information search. We also extend the Information Seeking Model by advancing a typology of information search tactics, each incurring distinctive search cost. Furthermore, two types of search tasks were adapted from prior research to explore how search tactics differ between goal-oriented and exploratory conditions. Our hypotheses were validated via an online experiment in which Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) participants were recruited and tasked to perform search tasks on custom-made online review websites. By analyzing the behavioral data generated in the experimental process, we discover that search cost reduces the expected search utility while improving the yield of search space. Moreover, certain search tactics demand more effort from exploratory searchers, which in turn undermine their search utility.
    OriginalsprogEngelsk
    TitelPACIS 2016 Proceedings
    RedaktørerPatrick Y.K. Chau, She-I Chang
    Antal sider16
    UdgivelsesstedAtlanta, GA
    ForlagAssociation for Information Systems. AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)
    Publikationsdato2016
    Artikelnummer113
    ISBN (Trykt)9789860491029
    ISBN (Elektronisk)9789860491029
    StatusUdgivet - 2016
    BegivenhedThe 20th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. PACIS 2016 - Chiayi, Taiwan
    Varighed: 27 jun. 20161 jul. 2016
    Konferencens nummer: 20
    http://www.pacis2016.org

    Konference

    KonferenceThe 20th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. PACIS 2016
    Nummer20
    Land/OmrådeTaiwan
    ByChiayi
    Periode27/06/201601/07/2016
    Internetadresse

    Emneord

    • Information foraging theory
    • Online information search
    • Search tactics
    • Search Tasks
    • Search cost
    • Search utility

    Citationsformater