Relationship between information processing styles and information seeking behavior, with information anxiety as a moderator variable

Abstract

Objectives：This study examined the relationship between information processing styles and information seeking, and its moderation by information anxiety. Analytical information processing and intuitive information processing are the two types of information processing styles examined. Information seeking was measured by the number of additional pieces of information sought by participants. Methods：Questionnaires were distributed to postgraduate students of IAU Ahvaz University, Iran, selected using stratified sampling based on educational subgroups including basic science, agricultural science, engineering, and humanities. 370 valid responses were collected and analyzed. Results：From the correlation analysis, analytical information processing style (r= 0.53), intuitive information processing style (r=0.44), and anxiety (r=0.51) were all found to have a moderately strong impact on information seeking behavior, significant at the 0.01 level. Linear regression models were developed with information seeking behavior as dependent variable. A significant interaction between anxiety and analytical information processing style was found. Contributions：The multiple linear regression results indicate that analytical information processing style and anxiety are significant predictors of students’ information-seeking behavior. Moreover, anxiety moderates the effect of the analytical style in that high anxiety reduces the effect of the analytical style.