Decision-Making Groups Attenuate the Discussion Bias in Favor of Shared Information: A Meta-Analysis

Groups often focus their discussions on information that all members know at the outset. To test how robust the sampling advantage for shared information is, a meta-analysis was conducted. The analysis integrated findings from 20 publications (45 independent effects), in which information sharedness was manipulated. Groups discussed more shared than unshared information overall. However, the observed sampling advantage was smaller than expected. Groups attenuated the discussion bias in particular when they had to choose among a small number of decision alternatives and when they had less than 30 minutes discussion time. Moreover, groups performing a hidden-profile task tended to display a smaller discussion bias than groups performing tasks with equally attractive alternatives.     

Structure of the social network of Beninese library and information professionals

This paper aims the Benin Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals’ access to individuals on the social network through the study of the structure and use of the network. Subscribers to the library association’s listserv participated in a web-based survey to identify the colleagues they could easily reach. The analysis uses social network techniques and Pajek, a social network analysis software, and focuses on centralities, prestige and sub-groups to identify the key actors required for effective information sharing within the network.

The density of this is very low and suggests that intermediaries are important for the connectedness of subscribers (also referred to as actors); network centralisation is moderate and explains that some actors are central for communication among the subscribers. About 60% of the subscribers fall within one of two groups. In the first group, six subscribers are central to the network, because they are moderators of the listserv, members of the association board, or well-connected to other well-connected actors. The others fall within the isolates or had few connections.     

Sequential Information Integration and Belief Trajectories: An Experimental Study Using Candidate Evaluations

Using an extended model of information integration theory, the sequential information integration model (SIIM), the effects of initially presented information on belief trajectories were investigated. SIIM predicts (a) damped oscillatory trajectories when congruent information and incongruent information are presented alternately; and (b) smaller amplitudes of trajectories when initial beliefs have greater weight. An experiment was conducted that utilized a hypothetical election (N=201). Participants initially received specific (vs. no) information about candidates’ positions on issues and then indicated their evaluation of the candidates 11 times in response to additional pieces of information that were provided over time. As predicted, belief trajectories were found to have damped oscillatory patterns. The amplitude of the trajectories was smaller for participants with strong party identification than for those with weak party identification. Implications of these findings for theories of persuasion and political decision-making are discussed.     

Assessing the Role of Peer Relationships in the Small Group Communication Course

Based on the typology posited by Kram and Isabella (1985) that identifies three peer relationships present in organizations (i.e., information, collegial, and special), this assessment examined the association between students' perceptions of their in-class group members and six group outcomes (i.e., grouphate, cohesion, relational satisfaction, consensus, affective learning, and cognitive learning). Participants included 248 undergraduate students enrolled in two sections of an introductory small group communication course. Results revealed that students who rated group members to be information peers, rather than collegial peers or special peers, reported higher levels of grouphate and lower levels of cohesion, relational satisfaction, consensus, and cognitive learning.     

Students' Perceptions of Classroom Group Work as a Function of Group Member Selection

Course: Small Group Communication

The purpose of this assessment was to examine whether differences exist between students who self-select their classroom work group members and students who are randomly assigned to their classroom work groups in terms of their use of organizational citizenship behaviors with their work group members; their commitment to, trust in, and relational satisfaction with their work groups; and their self-reports of affective learning and cognitive learning. Participants were 126 students enrolled in a small group communication course. While students who self-select their group members and students who are randomly assigned to their groups do not differ in their use of organizational citizenship behaviors with their classroom work group members, students who self-select their classroom work group members do report higher levels of commitment, trust, and relational satisfaction, as well as more affective learning and more cognitive learning, than students who are randomly assigned to classroom work groups.     

The Role of Perceived Self-Efficacy in the Information Seeking Behavior of Library and Information Science Students

This study investigated the self-efficacy perceptions of Israeli library and information science students regarding their information seeking behavior. That is, it examined the judgments that participants make of their searching abilities. The study was based on Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy information: past performance or mastery experiences, vicarious experiences of observing the experiences of others, social feedback and affective states. An online survey presenting the Information Seeking Self-Perception Scale (IRSPS) was distributed and 205 students completed the questionnaire anonymously. Findings show that participants reported a high level of self-efficacy and that three of the four sources of self-efficacy information were significant in constructing their self-efficacy beliefs. Correlations between self-efficacy percepts and several socio-demographic variables revealed no gender-based differences. A significant correlation was found between age and degree and the sources with more influence. Older postgraduate students reported being more impacted by their mastery experiences, their affective states and social feedback. The implementation of the Information Seeking Self-Perception Scale (IRSPS) can be valuable when designing and implementing LIS academic programs for different groups of students.     

Analyzing digital divide within and between member and candidate countries o f European Union

The main purpose of this study is to analyze whether a digital divide exists among European Union (EU) members, new members, and candidate countries. Beyond this, the second goal is to find out if a digital divide has a significant association with the process of becoming an EU member. First, member, new member, and candidate countries are classified into three groups, and MANOVA (Multivariate Analysis of Variance) is applied to determine differences among these groups in terms of Information Society levels. Then, Information Society variables are analyzed using Discriminant Analysis. According to the results of the research, there is a significant level of digital divide in the EU and a certain information society level currently is not associated with EU membership. The EU must address the digital divide among member countries if they are to become a close-knit community, and to continue to be one of the most competitive economic powers in the world. Finaly, the EU might consider using information society level as an objective criteria along with other objective and subjective criteria currently being used as EU membership criteria.     

Blame or Shame: The Search for Online Support and Stigma Origin Among Israeli Childless Women

This study employed the uses and gratifications approach to examine the role of online support forums in coping with the stigma of childlessness in Israel. The study compared two online support groups: one for Israeli women with fertility issues and another for Israeli women who are voluntarily childless. A quantitative content analysis was used to examine the frequency of support message types, and in-depth interviews with group members were used to examine members’ motivations for seeking these support types. The origin of the childlessness stigma carried great influence in the search for social support. Fertility forum members searched significantly more for information and emotional support to cope with a condition they felt was being forced on them and that was also perceived by society. However, voluntarily childless forum members sought significantly more for esteem and network support to cope with the social isolation stemming from unfavorable views toward their reproductive choice.     

Why Are You Saying That? Increases in Gaze Duration as Responses to Group Member Dissent

The present study investigated students’ eye gaze while reacting to dissenting peers in groups. We measured the duration of gaze toward a confederate who disagreed with either a prevailing idea around which the group was coalescing or the process by which the group was solving a problem. Results indicated that participants gazed at dissenting confederates longer than at confederates in control groups. Qualitative analysis suggested that participants seemed to use eye gaze to understand the confederate, to prompt the confederate to contribute to discussions, to ease tensions, and to process information relative to the group’s task. Results provide an expanded look at how group members respond to dissenters, how conflict operates in some student groups, and how group members may differentiate acceptable and unacceptable disagreement.     

An Experimental Investigation of Social Identification on College Student Organ Donor Decisions

This investigation examined whether persuasive organ donation messages that target individuals’ identification with a salient social group will be more effective in encouraging these individuals to become organ donors than will information-only persuasive messages. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of two pro-organ donation messages, both of which included basic information about organ donation (need, number of registered donors, etc.) while one also targeted social identity. Findings indicate that individuals exposed to a social identification message were more likely to click a link that allowed them to officially register as organ donors. These results offer support for the utility of social identification as a health communication campaign strategy for increasing organ donation.     

协同搜索过程中用户交流内容与模式研究

[目的/意义]旨在分析协同搜索用户在信息搜索任务过程中的交流内容与模式,从而理解协同搜索用户的关注重点与搜索过程。[研究设计/方法]基于书籍交互检索平台(CLEF-Social Book Search)设计实验,共招募18名被试完成两种搜索任务,通过录音记录对话并对其进行编码和分析,总结交流内容特征和模式。结合任务类型、认知类型组合、服务器记录的搜索交互行为日志以及问卷收集的搜索体验进行了探索分析。[结论/发现]从交流内容上看,协同搜索用户主要理解与评判书目信息、商讨搜索任务计划;比起认知类型不同的用户,相同认知类型的用户在操作交互方面交流更多,在评判决策方面交流较少。交流模式依据讨论内容比重可分为理解评判型、评判主导型、均衡交流型三种,评判主导型用户的任务完成满意度最高。[创新/价值]协同搜索用户的交流反映出搜索过程中需要与同伴商讨协同的焦点,也是需要系统提供协助的重点,给协同搜索系统设计提供一定参考。本研究针对协同搜索的交流内容设计的编码系统对相关的协同交流研究也有借鉴意义。     

Anonymity and Interaction in an Online Breast Cancer Social Support Group

Despite the benefits of using online social support groups, prior research does not provide a solid understanding of the online factors related to an individual’s supportive interaction. Accordingly, this study aims to explore how various aspects of anonymity predict different levels of social support engagement. The current study uncovers that visually identifiable group members are more likely to get supportive responses than are visually anonymous members. Also, when support group members are visually and discursively identifiable, they are more likely to get supportive messages than those who are visually and discursively anonymous. Additionally, the more identifiable support group members are, the more they receive positive messages. Practical implications for the role of social support group members’ anonymity/identifiability on the overall social support process are presented.     

Criticism From Artificial Agents: Prior Interaction Reduces Negative Effects

The present study explored interaction between humans and artificial agents from a relational perspective. According to theories on interpersonal communication and relationships, criticism by known agents, as compared to unknown agents, could be less negative (the buffering effect of relationship) or more negative (the expectancy violation effect) to human-agent relationships. Using online survey tools, participants who had interacted with an agent were led to one of the same or different agent conditions, in which the same or a new agent gave negative comments (criticism) to participants. Participants evaluated the agent and the interaction with it before and after receiving the criticism. Results showed that a brief acquaintanceship with agents lessened the negative effects of criticism. Participants’ evaluations decreased to a lesser degree when the negative comments were given by the acquaintance agent rather than the stranger agent. Thus, the buffering effect of relationship was supported in human-agent relationships.     

Structure of the social network of Beninese library and information professionals

This paper aims the Benin Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals’ access to individuals on the social network through the study of the structure and use of the network. Subscribers to the library association’s listserv participated in a web-based survey to identify the colleagues they could easily reach. The analysis uses social network techniques and Pajek, a social network analysis software, and focuses on centralities, prestige and sub-groups to identify the key actors required for effective information sharing within the network.The density of this is very low and suggests that intermediaries are important for the connectedness of subscribers (also referred to as actors); network centralisation is moderate and explains that some actors are central for communication among the subscribers. About 60% of the subscribers fall within one of two groups. In the first group, six subscribers are central to the network, because they are moderators of the listserv, members of the association board, or well-connected to other well-connected actors. The others fall within the isolates or had few connections.     

Prerequisite conditions for self‐disclosing: A gender issue

Using a scheme previously developed by the authors to define conceptually self‐disclosure, this study focuses on one dimension found in that investigation— prerequisite for disclosure. The research examines gender differences in perceived importance placed on four conditions: setting, receiver, sender, and relationship characteristics judged to be needed before disclosing private information about oneself to others. The study also looks at the influence of topic on males’ and females’ use of conditions. Results suggest that women find sender and receiver characteristics more important as prerequisite conditions for self‐disclosure than do men. No significant effect of topic on the use of conditions was found for men or women.     

I Got a New Puppy! The Impact of Personal,Opinion, and Objective Tweets on a Journalist’s and a News Organization’s Perceived Credibility

ABSTRACT

This experimental study examined the impact of posting different types of tweets on a journalist’s perceived credibility. Three-hundred-and-eighty-seven participants were randomly assigned into one of three groups. One group saw tweets from a journalist that were about the journalist’s personal life, another group saw tweets from the same journalist that were written objectively about news stories, and the third group saw tweets from the same journalist that contained the journalist’s opinion regarding news stories. Participants who read the personal tweets about the journalist’s life rated the journalist highest in perceived credibility. The perceived credibility of the journalist was ranked significantly lower by participants who read the tweets that only contained the journalist’s opinion. Participants were also asked to rate the credibility of the organization for which the journalist worked. The perceived credibility of the organization was rated significantly higher by those who read the objective tweets. Organizational credibility was rated lowest by those who read the tweets that contained the journalist’s opinion. This study has important implications for journalists who use Twitter and wish to improve their personal and organizational perceived credibility.     

Pre- and Postinteraction Physical Attractiveness Ratings and Experience-Based Impressions

This study examines the perceptions of an interaction partner’s physical attractiveness and traits in relation to whether and how partners were evaluated prior to interacting. Sixty-five pairs of heterosexual strangers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (i.e., prerate photos of opposite-sex strangers including conversation partner, prerate photos excluding partner, no prerate photos). Participants then had a 10-minute interaction, reported impressions of partner, and rated photos again including the partner. Compared to no preinteraction rating, rating conversation partners’ attractiveness reduced impressions of partners’ social attractiveness, fun/funniness, and charisma. Partner impressions were more strongly associated with postinteraction attractiveness ratings than preinteraction ratings. Impressions of social attractiveness and fun/funniness moderated attractiveness rating change, wherein less attractive partners showed more positive change than attractive partners.     

The value of structured abstracts in information retrieval from MEDLINE

Objective: To determine whether information retrieval might be enhanced by making each component of a structured abstract a separately searchable field. Design: Parallel searches on records arranged so that each abstract could either be searched in its entirety or as a collection of structured fields. Subjects: Records about cardiovascular disease downloaded from MEDLINE and tested against clinical questions derived from a concurrent survey of CD-ROM use in three health science libraries. Intervention: The investigators identified terms used to structure abstracts on MEDLINE and imported the abstracts into an Idealist database prior to searching using keywords from clinical questions. Measurements and main results: recall and precision rates are given for each question in the ‘structured’ and the ‘unstructured’ set of records. Conclusions: Use of structured, rather than unstructured, abstracts improves precision at the ex-pense of recall and places heavier demands upon the searcher’s skill in choosing the correct fields within the abstract to search. Further investigation requires more accurate simulation of MEDLINE software that utilizes features such as MeSH terms, explode, facilities and delimiters.     

Team formation and team impact: The balance between team freshness and repeat collaboration

Incorporating fresh members into teams is considered a pathway to team creativity. However, whether freshness improves team performance or not remains unclear, as well as the optimal involvement of fresh members for team performance. Focusing on team impact, one important dimension of team performance, this study uses a group of authors on the byline of a publication as a proxy for a scientific team and quantifies team impact by citations of a paper authored by this team, i.e., article team impact. We extend an indicator, i.e., article team freshness, to measure the extent to which a scientific team incorporates new members, by calculating the fraction of new collaboration relations established within the team. Based on more than 43 million scientific publications covering more than a half-century of research from Microsoft Academic Graph, this study provides a holistic picture of the current development of article team freshness by outlining the temporal evolution of freshness, and its disciplinary distribution. Subsequently, using a multivariable regression approach, we examine the association between article team freshness and papers’ short-term and long-term citations. The major findings are as follows: (1) article team freshness in scientific teams has been increasing in the past half-century; (2) there exists an inverted-U-shaped association between article team freshness and papers’ citations in all the disciplines and different periods; (3) article team impact is hampered by article team freshness in small-sized teams, while medium-sized and large-sized teams can benefit more from article team freshness before the fraction of new collaboration reaches its turning point. The findings of this study provide implications for the practice of team formation and team management in science.     

Exploring the psychological foundations of democratic group deliberation: Personality factors,Confirming interaction,and democratic decision making

This report investigated relationships among group members’ personalities, confirming interaction, and democratic decision making. Using the Big Five personality measure and a self‐report measure of confirming interaction, it was hypothesized that confirming interaction would be reported more often in groups whose members are relatively extraverted, agreeable, conscientious, non‐neurotic, and open to experience. Of these personality factors, one had a clear association: Groups with higher mean levels of agreeableness reported higher levels of confirming interaction. In addition, perceived confirming interaction was hypothesized to be positively correlated with members’ perceptions of democratic decision making. This hypothesis was also supported.