Information foraging in information access environments

dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/223904.223911

Information foraging, Information scents 개념을 처음으로 소개한 논문.

Abstract

Information foraging theory is an approach to the analysis of human activities involving information access technologies. The theory derives from optimal foraging theory in Biology and Anthropology, which analyzes the adaptive value of food-foraging strategies. Information foraging theory analyzes trade-offs in the value of information gained against the costs of performing activity in human-computer interaction tasks. The theory is illustrated by application to information-seeking tasks involving a Scatter/Gather interface, which presents users with a navigable, automatically computed, overview of the contents of a document collection arranged as a cluster hierarchy.

Quotes

Information-processing vs. ecological approach:

Whereas information-processing models, such as GOMS, provide mechanistic accounts of how cognition operates, ecological models address why it operates that way, given the ecological context in which it occurs. This kind of integrated explanatory framework has been promoted by Marr and more recently, Anderson in cognitive science.

Optimal foraging theory:

Optimal foraging theory is a theory that has been developed within Biology for understanding the opportunities and forces of adaptation. We believe elements of this theory can help in understanding existing human adaptations for gaining and making sense out of information. It can also help in task analysis for understanding how to create new interactive information system designs. Optimality models in general include the following three major components.

1. Decision assumptions that identify which of the problems faced by an agent are to be analyzed. This might involve decisions about whether to pursue a given type of information item upon encountering it, the time to spend processing a collection of information items, the choice of moves to make in navigation, the choice of strategy under uncertainty, or degree of resource sharing.
2. Currency assumptions, which identify how choices are to be evaluated. The general assumption in ecological analyses is that some feature x will exist over other features, if x satisfies some existence criteria. Existence criteria have two parts (a) a currency, and (b) a choice principle. Typically, optimal foraging models in anthropology and biology assume energy as a currency. Information foraging theory will assume information value as currency. Choice principles include maximization, minimization, and stability.
3. Constraint assumptions, which limit and define the relationships among decision and currency variables. These will include constraints that arise out of the task structure, interface technology, and the abilities and knowledge of a user population.

… The use of optimality models should not be taken as a hypothesis that human behavior is classically rational, with perfect information and infinite computational resources. A more successful hypothesis about humans is that they exhibit bounded rationality or make choices based on satisficing.