Cognitive Style and On-Line Database Search Experience as Predictors of Web Search Performance

摘要

This study sought to investigate the effects of cognitive style (field dependent and field independent) and on-line database search experience (novice and experienced) on the world Wide Web (WWW) search performance of undergraduate college students (n=48). It also at- tempted to find user factors that could be used to pre- dict search efficiency. Search performance, the depen- dent variable, was defined in two ways(1)time required for retrieving a relevant information item, and (2) the number of nodes traversed for retrieving a relevant in- formation item.