Information Foraging: A Theory of How People Navigate on the Web
6 hours ago
- #User Behavior
- #Information Foraging
- #Web Design
- Information foraging theory explains how people navigate the web to satisfy information needs by maximizing the rate of information gain over cost.
- The theory draws an analogy with animal foraging, using terms like patch (website), scent (promise of information), and diet (sources considered).
- Users estimate information value through 'information scent' from cues like titles, images, and links, which varies based on individual goals.
- Costs include time and effort (within-patch and between-patch activities) and opportunity costs from missing other information sources.
- Enrichments are user strategies, such as scanning patterns or keyword refinement, to improve foraging efficiency, but they carry risks like extra effort or errors.
- Good user experience design can make enrichments unnecessary by optimizing page layout, scent, and search results to maximize information gain with minimal time.