Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Abstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of cognitive distortions on the information retrieval process.
Methodology: This research is a survey study in terms of methodology. The statistical population consisted of postgraduate students, and a stratified random sampling method was used to select 100 participants as the study sample. Data were collected using three researcher-made questionnaires. To confirm validity, the opinions of experts in the field of information retrieval were utilized, and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to validate the structural validity.
Findings: The findings of the study revealed that users do not experience specific cognitive distortions during information retrieval. However, the extent of cognitive distortions employed by users varies before initiating the search and retrieval process, with the “magnification” distortion being more prevalent than others. During the search process, the application of cognitive distortions also varied among users, with the “magnification” distortion being the most frequently used. After the search and retrieval process, the extent of cognitive distortions differed as well, with the “overgeneralization” distortion being more prominent compared to others.
Conclusions: The presence of certain cognitive distortions at various stages of information retrieval highlights the need for information retrieval system designers to pay attention to this area. The higher prevalence of cognitive distortions in the pre-search phase also indicates that information professionals should closely work with users and provide them with the necessary informational guidance.
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