=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=None
|storemode=property
|title= Cognitive Economy
Strategies Employed During Information Seeking in a Hypermedia
Environment: a Qualitative Analysis
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1210/LBR_01.pdf
|volume=Vol-1210
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/ht/Brouwers14
}}
== Cognitive Economy
Strategies Employed During Information Seeking in a Hypermedia
Environment: a Qualitative Analysis ==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1210/LBR_01.pdf
Cognitive economy strategies employed during
information seeking in a hypermedia environment:
A qualitative analysis
Aurélie Brouwers
Research Fellow FNRS
Université Catholique de Louvain
Ruelle de la lanterne magique 14
1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
+32 10 474606
Aurelie.brouwers@uclouvain.be
ABSTRACT have gathered here and focus on the navigation strategies
Information search in hypermedia system involves several employed in order to reduce the cognitive load caused by the task
cognitive resources, which can lead to a cognitive load. We and the interface. These observations come from qualitative
observed the user navigation behavior during information seeking analyses of the strategies developed by twenty-four subjects to
tasks in a hypertext environment. In this paper, we present navigate a hierarchical hyperdocument designed for the purposes
qualitative results about navigation strategies employed in of the study [7]. This article therefore presents four navigation
information seeking in order to reduce the cognitive load caused behaviors employed by the users in order to reduce the cognitive
by the task and the interface. load caused by the navigation task.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
H.1.2 [Models and principles]: User/Machine Systems– Human 2. Mental representation of environment
factors, Human information processing. The human brain is capable of mentally representing an
environment which is far too large to be seen from one viewpoint
alone. Edward and Hardman [8] show that hypertext users
General Terms construct a representation of that environment as they would for a
Experimentation, Human Factors. physical environment (such as a town for example). Rouet et al.
[9] show that individuals assimilate the structure of the
Keywords hyperdocument they are trying out and are capable of reproducing
Information seeking, hypermedia navigation, cognitive load, it more or less exactly after the navigation (according to the level
cognitive economy. of their visuospatial abilities). Dillon [1] maintains that perception
of the informational environment is always based (regardless of its
size) upon physical and semantic properties. This dynamic
1. INTRODUCTION combination of spatial and semantic information forms what
Hypertext navigation was defined by Dillon [1] as a dual task Dillon refers to as Shape, that is to say, the mental model which
needing both semantic and material processing required by the hypermedia user construct of the informational space he is
manipulation of the interface. Since the 1980s, numerous studies trying out [1]. This mental construction of the environment is the
have shown that spatial visualization abilities are involved in result of cognitive collages of mental images which we build up in
information search in a hypermedia environment [2]. Prior order to deal with a particular task [10], [11] and which are
knowledge is a factor, which has an equal influence upon integrated to form a whole. These representations are fragmented,
interaction with the interface [3]. Several cognitive resources are placing the parts of the environment we show ourselves end to
therefore mobilized in order to successfully achieve a navigation end. They are hierarchically encoded [12] and certain parts can be
goal. highly detailed while others might not be. These mental
Indeed, the user must understand the semantic content presented representations are therefore biased in relation to the real
in order to assess whether or not it fulfills the navigation aim. At environment, but these biases can be beneficial as they allow for a
the same time, he builds up a mental representation of the simplified cognitive construction, reduced to concentrate upon the
structure of the interface, in order to be able to plan his navigation elements, which are relevant and necessary to completion of the
(that is to say to know where he has already been and where he task.
might go next). Rouet and Tricot [4] argue that the user also has
to construct a mental representation of the strategy he wants to use
to find information. The complexity of these tasks can create a
3. Cognitive load theory
Sweller [5] proposes the cognitive load theory as an explanation
cognitive load [5] which is adverse to the success of information
for failures in learning. The working memory’s limited capacity
seeking. That load is often responsible for the feeling of
[13] can suffer from cognitive overload when processing a task
disorientation which the users might feel when they do not
which is too complex. In cases where information is searched in a
succeed in carrying out a task in an interface [6].
hypermedia environment, this load can be due to several factors;
Within the framework of a much larger study [7], we observed the complexity of the seeking task (intrinsic load), the complexity
subjects’ navigation in tasks involving the location of of the semantic content (intrinsic load) or the complexity of the
information. We are going to present a section of the results we
interface itself (extraneous load). These loads can occur
simultaneously. The cognitive load due to the hypertext
navigation has been studied for many years [14]: the hypermedia
interface results in a cognitive load which, in certain situations,
causes a feeling of disorientation and urges individuals to make
particular navigation choices, such as using the back button.
We believe that establishing strategies such as using the back
button might be a means of managing the cognitive load inherent
to the task and the device, so that it is not too cumbersome. The
individual choses strategies allowing him to lighten the cognitive
process. These cognitive economy strategies allow the user to
complete his task successfully without overloading his working
memory. The individual can move forward in the task while
sparing his cognitive functions.
Figure 3. Continent Page
4. Experimentation
We created a 45-page hypertext, structured in three hierarchical
levels and containing transverse links. The semantic content
related to animals, was presented like an encyclopedia and
organized according to the continents on which the animals We observed the navigation of 24 subjects, fifteen women and
evolve. A non-clickable site map could be accessed from any nine men all university graduates, aged between 22 and 30. We
page, via a tab. asked them to locate seven pieces of information in the interface.
The first two questions, as well as the final four questions, were
characterized by the fact that the individuals knew what they were
looking for. For example; how much does the giant panda weigh?
The participants had to find the panda page and read the
information they found there in order to be able to respond to the
question. The third question (One omnivorous animal’s young are
nicknamed “bêtes rousses”, which animal is this?), on the
contrary, did not state on which animal’s page the information
would be found. The participants were in a situation where they
did not know what they were looking for.
We asked the subjects to verbalize their actions while navigating.
The subjects’ navigation was registered thanks to the Morae
software suite which enabled the gathering of videos of the
Figure 1. Home Page navigations, but also, the number of clicks, the number of pages
visited and the time taken to complete each task.
4.1 Data processing
We watched all the videos and coded each navigation behavior.
Identical behaviors were quickly observed in several individuals.
Using these behaviors, we have constructed indicators which
allow us to detect a strategy or the effect of a capacity. This
coding was carried out using Nvivo software.
4.1.1 Indicator and cognitive economy strategies
4.1.1.1 Mental representation indicator
The Mc. Donald et Pellegrino [15] model maintains that direct
experience of the environment, what they refer to as primary
learning, allows the individual to acquire spatial knowledge
enabling him to construct a mental representation of the
environment. In this way, a prolonged experience of the system
Figure 2. Animal Page allows the user to construct a representation of it for himself. We
defined an indicator to tell us whether the subject had been able to
construct a mental representation of the interface. This indicator is
the number of tasks which the subject was able to complete
effectively (by directly clicking on the correct page) out of the
final four tasks. We chose the final four tasks because task three
was defined by the fact that the individual did not know what he
was looking for. A large number of the participants therefore
navigated all over the interface and thoroughly experimented the a systematic strategy, for example). This partial representation
system, which, according to the Mc Donald and Pellegrino [15] allows the cognitive load to be lightened. These individuals know
model, allows a mental image of the interface to be constructed. that once they are “at the beginning” they can plan a navigation
This indicator therefore allowed us to identify the subjects who choice.
were able to construct a mental representation of the interface, by Finally, certain subjects directly consult the (non-clickable) site
observing whether they were able to find the correct location for map while others prefer to browse the continent tabs, without
the four final pieces of information searched, without making an clicking on their content, purely in order to have a view of the
error (clicking on an incorrect page). entire structure of the interface. Consultation of navigational tools
allows a global view of the environment but most of all an
4.2 Observed strategies externalization of the interface representation, which avoids the
We believe that an individual can put strategies in place in order need to remember it.
to manage the cognitive load inherent in the task so that it is not Certain strategies can be combined. Of the nine participants who
too cumbersome. The individual choses strategies allowing him to consult a navigational tool, four opt for systematic navigation at
lighten the cognitive process. These cognitive economy strategies any moment. Likewise, of the five subjects who decide, during the
allow the user to complete his task successfully without navigation, to “return to the beginning”, four then decide to
overloading his working memory. Here we are going to present undertake a systematic navigation. Nevertheless, the strategy of
four navigation strategies which we have interpreted as cognitive “returning to the beginning” is almost never (save in the case of
economy strategies. one subject) combined with the strategy of consulting a
The most frequently observed economy strategy is systematic navigational tool. The users are more likely to choose one or the
navigation (observed in 13 of the 24 participants): from a other.
continent’s page, they click on all the referenced links in turn and
then move on to the next continent until they find the information. 5. Conclusion
This strategy is extremely undemanding from a cognitive point of During information seeking in a hypertext environment, the
view since it means that the individual does not have to individual faces a dual task, both material and semantic [1], which
contemplate making a choice. It is rather the interface which can lead to a cognitive load and a feeling of disorientation [6]. We
makes the navigation choices, so the individual can concentrate observed the navigation behavior of 24 subjects in a
on the semantic content provided to him in order to locate the hyperdocument designed for the purposes of our study. Hence,
information he is looking for. our results need to be considered carefully. The qualitative
Among the individuals who chose to undertake a systematic analysis of information seeking by our subjects has allowed us to
navigation we also observed that some used the back button, even identify four cognitive economy strategies; systematic search,
though when they knew what they were looking for or were using the back button, returning “to the beginning” and using
exploring the environment (i.e. that they are performing additional external representations of the environment. It is important to
navigation with the aim of having an idea of how the interface is emphasize that these strategies aren’t always indicators of lostness
organized), they navigated using the continent tabs directly. Use and that they can allow the users to successfully complete a task
of the back button has often been categorized as an indicator of without burdening their memory with an overly cumbersome
inefficiency or disorientation [16]. Just like Tauscher et mental representation of the interface. Although these
Greenberg [17], we believe that this kind of navigation behavior observations come from a small sample of subjects using a
is more an indicator of management of the cognitive load. In fact, specific interface, which precludes any premature generalization
using the back button allows the user to avoid burdening his of our results, the typology of the four strategies of cognitive
memory with the location of the page he is consulting. It is economy appears to be an interesting frame for larger subsequent
sufficient to go back, and to click on the link which follows the analyses in other interfaces.
one he has just visited. Furthermore, we noted that these
individuals are not aware of the structure since when they visit the
final link suggested on a continent’s page, it is only when they
click the back button and see that they have clicked on all the 6. REFERENCES
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