Effects of Constraints on Information Seeking Behavior
Kazuya Fujikawa (AY 2012)
Nowadays, people naturally use the Internet to solve problems in their daily lives, and in particular, people often use Web search systems as a problem-solving method. With the development of search technology, restrictions on search media, languages, and search topics have gradually decreased. In addition, search services that used to be paid are now generally free. The reduction of search restrictions is considered a good thing, but it does not necessarily mean that the existence of restrictions is bad for people. In the past, studies have been conducted to improve human task performance through the use of constraints and limitations, and the introduction of an element of constraint into a task is the most common method of introducing a game-like element that has been used to improve participants' concentration and attention span. However, these studies have not been conducted in the field of information retrieval.
In this study, we considered the active use of "constraints" as an external factor to improve human task performance in information retrieval. We hypothesized that "constraints" in information retrieval would improve human attention and affect human behavior and performance, and conducted two subject experiments to test this hypothesis. In the first experiment, we imposed three constraints on the Web search system: 1) time limit, 2) time limit + query submission limit, and 3) time limit + full-text browsing limit. In the second experiment, we considered the interval between actions in information retrieval behavior, such as query generation, document clicks, match judgments, and page scrolling, as an expression of "strategicity," and examined how this changed across multiple tasks and what differences appeared with and without constraints.
The results of Experiment 1 showed that 1) constraints improved attention to query generation and browsing search results, and 2) time restriction + query issuance frequency restriction had a particularly strong effect on subjects' attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes, which extended beyond query-related behaviors. We also analyzed resource consumption trends, and found that the intervals between actions became shorter when there were restrictions, and that consumption trends were closer to those of sessions with good performance. Based on these results, we conducted Experiment 2 with the hypothesis that the change in "strategizing" that occurs over the course of performing a task multiple times will differ depending on the presence or absence of constraints. The results showed that the development and changes in "strategicity" differed depending on the presence or absence of constraints.
This study revealed that constraints affect the attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes of people who engage in information retrieval behavior. We also found that the effects are manifested in the process of search behavior. These findings are expected to be applied to the improvement of information systems, to contribute to education, and to understand users' information retrieval behavior.
(Translated by DeepL)