Information behavior has emerged as an important aspect of human life, however our knowledge and understanding of it is incomplete and underdeveloped scientifically. Research on the topic is largely contemporary in focus and has generally not incorporated results from other disciplines. In this monograph Spink provides a new understanding of information behavior by incorporating related findings, theories and models from social sciences, psychology and cognition. In her presentation, she argues that information behavior is an important instinctive sociocognitive ability that can only be fully understood with a highly interdisciplinary approach. The leitmotivs of her examination are three important research questions: First, what is the evolutionary, biological and developmental nature of information behavior? Second, what is the role of instinct versus environment in shaping information behavior? And, third, how have information behavior capabilities evolved and developed over time? Written for researchers in information science as well as social and cognitive sciences, Spink’s controversial text lays the foundation for a new interdisciplinary theoretical perspective on information behavior that will not only provide a more holistic framework for this field but will also impact those sciences, and thus also open up many new research directions. Foreword References Preface Information Behavior Challenge Acknowledgments Contents Author Biography 1 Introduction Book Framework Book Scope Chapter Outlines Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Information Behavior Framework Chapter 3: Evolutionary Foundation Chapter 4: Instinct Versus Environment Chapter 5: Human Cognition and Social Behavior Chapter 6: Lifetime Development Chapter 7: Information Behavior Sub-processes Chapter 8: Information Behavior over the Ages Chapter 9: Key Propositions and Future Directions References 2 Information Behavior Framework Human Species Early Human Species Homo Sapiens New Human Species Expanded Cognitive Abilities Brain Volume Expansion Working Memory Expansion Emerged Cognitive Abilities Socio-Cognitive Abilities References 3 Evolutionary Foundation Evolved Behavior Biological Primary Ability Genetic Adaptation Language Instinct Survival and Reproduction Pressures Motivation to Control the Environment Summary References 4 Instinct Versus Environment Instinct Versus Environment Debate Debate over the Centuries Pre-nineteenth Century Debate Nineteenth Century Debate Twentieth Century Debate Konrad Lorenz Late Twentieth Century Debate Developmental Viewpoint Latest Thinking Shaping Information Behavior Instinctive Dimensions Environmental Dimensions Summary References 5 Human Cognition and Social Behavior Biological Secondary Ability Information Intelligence Multitasking Coordinating Socio-Cognitive Ability Combining Socio-Cognitive Abilities Individual/Collaborative Information Processing Affective Traits Summary References 6 Lifetime Development Human Cognitive Development Piaget's Stage Model of Cognitive Development Erikson's Cognitive Development Theory Vygotsky's Theory Baron- Cohen's Four Hierarchy Modular Mechanism Spelke's Physical Nature Lifetime History Life History Stages Information Behavior Lifetime Histories Lifetime Development References 7 Information Behavior Sub-processes Information Grounds Information Behavior Sub-processes Information Seeking Everyday Life Information Seeking -- Sense-Making Information Foraging Information Searching Information Searching Information Organizing Information Using Information Using Summary References 8 Supporting Information Behavior over the Ages Information Artifact Timeline Summary References 9 Key Propositions and Conclusions Information Behavior Emerged in Early Humans Information Behavior Emerged During the Neuro-Evolution Information Behavior Is Driven by a Human Motivation to Control Information Behavior Shaped by Instinct and Environment Information Behavior as Information Intelligence Information Intelligence Information Behavior Evolves over Human Lifetime Development Lifetime Development Information Behavior Theoretical Framework Conclusions References Index
