Human information behavior during the Covid-19 health crisis. A literature review

Montesi, Michela

doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101122

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 115 publications

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“…An increase in Covid news consumption followed by greater avoidance did occur at the beginning of the pandemic in the UK (Reuters Institute, 2020), and indeed, studies reflecting these findings were conducted in the first few months of the pandemic. However, as information behavior has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic (Montesi, 2021), it is also important to examine information behavior throughout crises-as shifts in information behavior (such as a reduction in active seeking, increase in encountering and/or increase in avoidance) might provide useful insight. Our research aims to understand how and why people engage or do not engage with Covid news during a later stage in the pandemic, where people may experience reduced uncertainty, but increased crisis and crisis news fatigue.…”

Section: Covid-related Information Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“I Try to Find a Balance”: Investigating Strategies for Self‐Regulating Covid News Consumption

Corina

Makri

2022

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Tech

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Excessive news consumption during global crises (e.g., through regularly monitoring fast‐moving developments), can result in information fatigue and anxiety. Indeed, research has highlighted dangerous risks to mental wellbeing from “over‐consumption” of Covid‐related news. While prior research has examined how people find Covid‐related information and sometimes avoid it to prevent overwhelm, no existing studies have investigated how people leverage information seeking, encountering and avoidance (often in concert) to self‐regulate their Covid news consumption. We conducted a two‐week diary study and follow‐up interviews with 16 people. An inductive Thematic Analysis identified several strategies for self‐regulating Covid news consumption: short‐term avoidance of all Covid news, selective avoidance (e.g., of news on particular Covid topics), selective consumption of Covid news from particular sources, news perceived to be within one's control, or news likely to be of personal benefit and conscious consumption of Covid news by limiting time spent consuming it, relying on passively encountering (rather than actively seeking) it and consuming it less frequently by returning to pre‐pandemic news‐browsing routines. An understanding of Covid news self‐regulation strategies can help digital platforms that provide crisis‐related news better support people in regulating their information consumption more effectively which, in turn, can help safeguard their mental wellbeing.

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Section: Covid-related Information Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“I Try to Find a Balance”: Investigating Strategies for Self‐Regulating Covid News Consumption

Corina

Makri

2022

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Tech

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“…In the first months of the pandemic, several surveys conducted about preferred information sources showed an increase in information use and consumption, especially in public broadcasting, newspapers and information from authorities (Dreisiebner et al, 2021), and the connections between information use and preventive behaviors (Liu, 2020;Granderath et al, 2020). According to a review of Human Information Behavior (HIB) research carried out until March 2021 (Montesi, 2021), everyday IB during the first year of the crisis has allowed to measure the efficacy and scope of information campaigns by governments and authorities, but it has also raised questions about less studied phenomena, such as experiential knowledge (EK) and local knowledge (LK). Indeed, during the crisis, information needs have been described as local, related to specific areas, produced by daily-life situations and originating in social, family and professional roles (Ke et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, 2020). According to a review of Human Information Behavior (HIB) research carried out until March 2021 (Montesi, 2021), everyday IB during the first year of the crisis has allowed to measure the efficacy and scope of information campaigns by governments and authorities, but it has also raised questions about less studied phenomena, such as experiential knowledge (EK) and local knowledge (LK). Indeed, during the crisis, information needs have been described as local, related to specific areas, produced by daily-life situations and originating in social, family and professional roles (Ke et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Everyday information behavior during the “new normal” of the Covid-19 pandemic: approaching the notions of experiential and local knowledge

Montesi

2022

Self Cite

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PurposeThe purpose of this research is to understand everyday information behavior (IB) during the Covid-19 pandemic at the “new normal” stage, focusing on the notions of experiential knowledge (EK), i.e. knowledge acquired by first-hand experience or in personal interactions, and local knowledge (LK) as perception of local environment.Design/methodology/approachSeventeen interviews were carried out in February–May 2021, in a district of the city of Madrid (Spain). Interview transcripts were analyzed according to grounded theory, to identify major and complementary themes of EK and LK.FindingsParticipants’ stories show that EK cooperated with information originating from government, scientific authorities and mainstream media, in patterns of convergence and divergence. While convergence produces “thick knowledge” (knowledge perceived as solid, real and multidimensional), divergence leads to uncertainty and collaboration, but it also supports a critical stance on authorities’ information. In addition, participants’ perceptions of LK emphasize its human component. LK and EK are exchanged both explicitly and tacitly.Originality/valueThe paper presents the first approach to understanding EK and LK and their function during the health crisis, characterizing them as alternative information systems and as topics deserving major attention in research on IB and crisis management.

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“…Nevertheless, there is still a risk of transmission and infection, leading to continuously causing threats and inconveniences (WHO, 2022).Confronting with this unexpected public health challenge, individuals are encouraged and even required to adopt proactively preventive actions (Breakwell et al, 2021;Duan et al, 2022;Farooq et al, 2020;Pan & Liu, 2022) to protect themselves and to control transmission of COVID-19. One of the important actions that individuals are likely to conduct actively or passively is to seek and use the information related to COVID-19 (Dreisiebner et al, 2022;Montesi, 2021). Specifically, they would access real-time information about COVID-19, look into the facts when encountering uncertainties, and capture informational assistance for health management (Chon & Park, 2021;Kim & Hong, 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the impact of motivations on individual online and offline preventive actions against COVID-19

Zhang

Huang

et al. 2023

Curr Psychol

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Having accurate and sufficient information about the outbreak and actively adopting preventive actions are important to reduce the adverse effects of COVID-19 and control the spread of the epidemic. To this end, grounded in the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) and self-concern and other-orientation theory, this study aims to examine motivations of individuals to adopt online and offline preventive actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the effects of three motivations, i.e., situational motivation, concern-for-self and concern-for-others motivation, and their antecedents on individual online and offline preventive actions. We used PLS-SEM to analyze the results of 628 questionnaires and found that: first, individual online preventive actions have a positive predictive effect on offline actions; secondly, individual online preventive actions are positively affected by situational motivation and concern-for-others motivation, and individual offline preventive actions are positively affected by concern-for-self and concern-for-others motivation; finally, three situational perceptual factors including problem, involvement and constraint recognition have significant effects on the three motivations. The findings of this study enriched the research results on individual behaviors in the context of COVID-19, and provided a basis for making decisions on the guidance and management of the individuals’ COVID-19 preventive actions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04283-z.

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Human information behavior during the Covid-19 health crisis. A literature review

Cited by 33 publications

References 115 publications

“I Try to Find a Balance”: Investigating Strategies for Self‐Regulating Covid News Consumption

“I Try to Find a Balance”: Investigating Strategies for Self‐Regulating Covid News Consumption

Everyday information behavior during the “new normal” of the Covid-19 pandemic: approaching the notions of experiential and local knowledge

Exploring the impact of motivations on individual online and offline preventive actions against COVID-19

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