Information Overload in the Attention Economy

Journal of Global Information Management, 2009

The information overload phenomenon has been studied for many years, and has proven to be more complex than researchers believed it to be. The study presented here aims at shedding some light on the complexity of information overload, by examining the relationship between perceived information overload intensity and three traditional and one nontraditional information overload predictors. The nontraditional predictor was power distance, which was manipulated through the collection of data from 184 local managers and professionals in New Zealand, Spain and the USA. The data analyses employed partial least squares-based structural equation modeling, and led to one surprising conclusion: perceived information overload intensity seems to be more strongly related to power distance than to the volume of written information or number of information transactions processed by an individual. This conclusion is referred to here as the information overload paradox.

Almost every knowledge worker can relate to feelings of Information Overload (IO), but in reality the phenomenon is not well understood. IO can be critical for individuals and organizations. Despite intensive research during the last decades this complex scientific discipline lacks comprehensive research for parts of the possible impact factors. This research presents a conceptual framework and some variables to the type of information. A case study approach has been conducted to examine the relationship between bad-, irrelevant-and relevant information with IO. The research found out that too much bad information as well as relevant information has a positive effect on IO. The contribution to the field of IO research is a better understanding of the concept and the impact of the type of information to IO.

—Information overload occurs when one is trying to process too much information. It is being bombarded with too much information at the same time. It is becoming a problem in the workplace or life in general. This paper provides a brief introduction into the notion of information overload and points to some possible solutions.

Aslib proceedings, 1999

Information overload is by no means a new concept, but has come to prominence during the last decade. This paper reviews the nature and causes of overload, and considers possible solutions, both organisational and technical, and its relevance to the information professional.

The Information Society, 2004

where he holds the courses of Strategy and Organization and Knowledge Management and where he manages the research project "Knowledge Communication between Domain Experts and Decision Makers". He has published over 40 scientific articles and four books, of which the last deals with the subject of information quality in knowledge-intensive processes. Furthermore, he is senior lecturer at the 'University of St.Gallen (HSG) where he is also vice director of the institute for Media and Communications Management.

Library trends, 1999

LIBRARY SCIENCE WORK has often focused on the study AND INFORMATION of solutions to the effects of information overload. For this reason, and because the concept is frequently identified as a problem in popular culture, it is logical to assume that the existence and description of information overload has been documented through rigorous investigation. Such is not the case. This article looks at the functions of myth and brings together ideas about the information society, information, and information overload to conclude that information overload is a myth of modern culture. In this sense, myth is a "nonscientific" process that confirms the reality of an elusive phenomenon. The article also reports results of a pilot project intended to describe information overload experienced by a particular folk group composed of future library and information professionals. In addition to trying to enhance the description of information overload, the pilot project represents an attempt to test the idea of the folk group as a remedy for this condition.

The RAND Journal of Economics, 2012

Limited consumer attention limits product market competition: prices are stochastically lower the more attention is paid. Ads compete to be the lowest price in a sector but compete for attention with ads from other sectors: equilibrium ad shares follow a CES form. When a sector gets more proÞtable, its advertising expands: others lose ad market share. The "information hump" shows highest ad levels for intermediate attention levels. The Information Age takes off when the number of viable sectors grows, but total ad volume reaches an upper limit. Overall, advertising is excessive, though the allocation across sectors is optimal.

2011

Abstract The rapid growth and transmission of information in the digital age poses new challenges for individuals coping with the onslaught of communications from multiple sources. This research (a) conceptualizes and measures perceived information overload from cyber-based and place-based sources,(b) tests the reliability and validity of a newly developed Perceived Information Overload Scale, and (c) tests hypotheses concerning the psychological and health outcomes of information overload.

Proceedings of the 20th conference of the computer-human interaction special interest group (CHISIG) of Australia on Computer-human interaction: design: activities, artefacts and environments - OZCHI '06, 2006

Information overload is not a clear-cut concept. To understand the concept we studied knowledge workers in their organizational context applying different design methods. These methods are increasingly used to inspire designers in designing technology solutions. However, for understanding ambiguous concepts they are less common. We compared critical incidents collection, cultural probing and storytelling with respect to their contribution to articulate the concept of information overload and to understand why respondents perceive information overload as problematic. At the same time, these insights will steer us towards practical guidelines and technological solutions bridging the gap between understanding human behaviour and (technological) support.

Proceedings of the 4th Nordic conference on Human-computer interaction changing roles - NordiCHI '06, 2006

We studied information overload among senior managers in an industrial company. We used the critical incident collection technique to gather specific examples of information overload and coping strategies. We then used textual interpretation and the affinity diagram technique to interpret the interviews and to categorize our respondents, the critical incidents they described, and the coping strategies they mentioned. Our results show that the extent to which people suffer from information overload is closely related to the strategies they use to deal with it.