Heinstrom From Fear to Flow

Personality and Information Interaction
1. Auflage 2010
ISBN: 978-1-78063-036-6
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 240 Seiten

Reihe: Chandos Information Professional Series

From Fear to Flow explores how personality traits may influence attitude, behaviour and reaction to information. Consideration is made for individual differences in information behaviour and reasons behind individual search differences. The book reviews personality and information behaviour and discusses how personality may influence the attitude towards information. Reaction to information is examined in contexts such as everyday life, decision-making, work, studies and human-computer interaction. - Introduces a little researched area which is current and needed in our Information Age - Explores how personality traits may influence attitude, behaviour and reaction to information - Provides an overview of the psychological aspects and individual differences in information seeking behaviour and examines reasons behind individual search differences other than personality

Dr. Jannica Heinstrom has a masters degree in Psychology and a PhD in Information Studies from Abo Akademi University, Finland. She is currently a full time researcher at the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries, Rutgers University, USA. She has extensive research experience in the field of psychological mechanisms of information behaviour, with an emphasis on personality differences. Her work has won numerous prices, including the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence, Outstanding Paper Award, 2005.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Heinstrom, Jannica

Leseproben

3 Openness to experience – the exploration dimension
introduction
The personality dimension most strongly related to exploration and joy of discovery is openness to experience. Persons with high openness are born with a natural curiosity. This makes them eagerly investigate everything that brings them new experiences, from sensations, tastes, music, art or culture to intellectual stimulation such as new ideas and viewpoints. Open persons generally have a broad invitational attitude towards information and welcome it in any context, whether it is purposefully searched out or incidentally encountered. Their way to collect information is spontaneous, flexible and creative, with use of a wide variety of information sources. When the time comes to make use of what they have found, they continue in the same innovative manner by applying information in original and imaginative ways. New information feeds their intellectual curiosity, stimulates their need to reflect and experience, and rewards them with the delight of fresh insights. An open searcher explains his view in Figure 3.1. Figure 3.1 The open searcher Open persons tend to be curious, like to try on new things and have broad, often cultural, interests. They are typically liberal, drawn to the unexpected, welcoming of cognitive challenges and questioning of old notions (Costa and McCrae, 1992). Not only are they intellectual but also inventive – a victorious combination of creativity and ease in learning from which they benefit in many contexts. In brief, one might say that openness to experience is a measure of depth, breadth and variability in imagination, intelligence and urge for experiences. While open persons have a rich and vivid imagination, closed persons are more practical and down to earth. People with low openness to experience also tend to be conventional, hesitant and prefer familiar routines. A conservative searcher describes her approach to information in Figure 3.2. Figure 3.2 The conservative searcher Open information interaction
Innovation, creativity, open-mindedness and tolerance for ambiguity – all aspects that refer to an invitational attitude towards new ideas – have been linked to broad, varied and active information seeking (see e.g. Dollinger et al., 2005; Flynn et al., 2006; Heinström, forthcoming; Jacobsen, 1998; Janssen, 2000; Palmer, 1991b; Schaninger and Sciglimpaglia, 1981; Schmit et al., 1993; Tan and Zhao, 2003). This finding is not surprising given that open-minded persons enjoy exploration and intellectual stimulation. Both the cognitive need to know and the emotional enjoyment of discovery are interwoven in open persons’ curiosity. Openness may thus inspire varied and active information seeking due to the goal of the search: discovering new viewpoints. The more information one works through, the stronger is the likelihood of encountering previously unknown thoughts and ideas. Open persons are moreover particularly interested in unconventional and imaginative information sources. In the early days of the internet, those with a positive attitude towards novelty were among the first to try this new medium (Finley and Finley, 1996). In addition, open persons are drawn to intellectually stimulating environments which provide a stronger likelihood of discovery. Their wide interests and many experiences expose them to a multitude of impressions, which in turn implicitly may lead to broader and more varied information acquisition. Open persons are also highly receptive. They do not only actively seek out new ideas and impulses, but may be more likely to notice them when they accidentally run into them. Last but not least, when they have collected the wanted information open persons often make creative use of the information they have acquired. To sum up, open persons’ active, varied and innovative information interaction may be linked to the following mechanisms:  a general attentiveness and invitational attitude – openness to new impressions  a broad, unrestricted goal in information seeking – openness to new content  an imaginative and creative way to seek information – openness to new sources  a high exposure to varied situations and contexts – openness to new encounters  a creative way to interpret and make use of information – openness to new implementation. Innovation and discovery
The curiosity, tolerance and investigation typical of open persons manifest themselves in many contexts. Open persons enjoy intellectual stimulation, exploration of new ideas and making new discoveries. Consequently, openness to experience often instigates active and broad information seeking. Kirton (1989) found that people tend to approach problem-solving, decision-making and creativity in two opposite ways, either by innovation or by adaption. Adaptors tend to solve their problems and base their decisions on what already exists in the form of generally recognized theories and policies. Innovators, on the other hand, make new paths and construct their own models. They are typically risk-taking, charismatic, achievement-oriented, enduring, dedicated and confident (Howell and Higgins, 1990). New ideas and practices are particularly attractive to them. Rather than automatically assuming that the present paradigm would be correct and helpful, they question and challenge it. While the large majority are skeptical and cautious of novelties, innovators are the ones who rebel, question and strive to challenge, invent and bring about change (Rogers, 1964). Adaptors ensure stability and bring development forward by building on and improving what is already there. They are more guided by their left brain hemisphere, whereas innovators have a dominating right hemisphere (Kirton, 1989). One may say that while innovators want to do things differently, adaptors want to do things better. Adaptors tend to be dogmatic, withdrawn, conscientious and anxious while innovators are open to new influences, extroverted and confident (previous research reviewed in Kirton, ibid.). If these personality descriptions are filtered through the five-factor model (Costa and McCrae, 1992), the trait combination of adaptors could be listed as nervousness, introversion, conservativeness and conscientiousness, while a combination of openness to experience, extroversion and emotional stability would be characteristic for innovators. Innovators have been shown to be enthusiastic information seekers who consult a wide variety of sources (Jacobsen, 1998; Palmer, 1991b). As an example we can take scientists. Those researchers who are particularly creative and innovative often welcome information from a wide range of sources, with a particular flavor for interdisciplinary findings (Kasperson, 1978; Palmer, 1991b). Their most valued information sources tend to be conferences, workshops and websites, all of which are essential to discover the latest breakthroughs (Jacobsen, 1998). Innovators also often consult people as information sources (Kasperson, 1978). Seeking out unconventional information is often followed by innovative interpretations and solutions, and may lead to breakthrough discoveries (Cole, 1993; Lumpkin and Erdogan, 2004; Tegano, 1990). Openness to experience may thus also inspire creative ways to interpret and apply information. By using another measure of openness, tolerance of ambiguity, similar results have been found. Persons with high tolerance of ambiguity are in general expansive and look for excitement and adventure. They tend to investigate more alternatives and more information than those who are cautious (Schaninger and Sciglimpaglia, 1981). Those with low tolerance of ambiguity, in turn, strive for harmony and security, just like adaptors do. They also tend to be vulnerable to social pressure and authority, prone to conformity and doubt their abilities (ibid.). While tolerant, innovative and open persons tend to employ an unrestrained search approach, cautious, adapting and conservative persons tend to be more controlled, methodical and systematic in their searches (Palmer, 1991b). Critical evaluation is becoming increasingly important as the amount of information continues to expand in the information society. Personality traits that have been related to critical thinking are inquisitiveness, systematical thinking, analyticity, truth seeking, self-confidence and maturity (Facione et al., 1995). Innovators are often critical thinkers who try to come up with alternative solutions (Brookfield, 1987). Persons with high openness are likewise unconventional and prepared to question authorities. They approach life with a curious and interested, yet questioning and reflective attitude (Costa and McCrae, 1992). These characteristics form a good basis for critical analysis of arguments and viewpoints, as well as information and new ideas (Blickle, 1996; Schouwenburg, 1995). Furthermore, open persons’ various interests and expansive information seeking facilitate their critical evaluation. A broad overall awareness of differences in interpretation, content and...