The role of individual differences in Internet searching: An empirical study

Abstract

Abstract This article reports the results of a study of the role of individual differences in Internet searching. The dimensions of individual differences forming the focus of the research consisted of: cognitive styles; levels of prior experience; Internet perceptions; study approaches; age; and gender. Sixty‐nine Masters students searched for information on a prescribed topic using the AltaVista search engine. Results were assessed using simple binary relevance judgements. Factor analysis and multiple regression revealed interesting differences, retrieval effectiveness being linked to: male gender ; low cognitive complexity ; an imager (as opposed to verbalizer ) cognitive style ; and a number of Internet perceptions and study approaches grouped here as indicating low self‐efficacy . The implications of these findings for system development and for future research are discussed.