Mitzi G. Pitts

Cognitive stopping rules for terminating information search in online tasks

Online search has become a significant activity in the daily lives of individuals throughout much of the world. The almost instantaneous availability of billions of web pages has caused a revolution in the way people seek information. Despite the increasing importance of online search behavior in decision making and problem solving, very little is known about why people stop searching for information online. In this paper, we review the literature concerning online search and cognitive stopping rules, and then describe specific types of information search tasks. Based on this theoretical development, we generated hypotheses and conducted an experiment with 115 participants each performing three search tasks on the web. Our findings show that people utilize a number of stopping rules to terminate search, and that the stopping rule used depends on the type of task performed. Implications for online information search theory and practice are discussed.

Improving requirements elicitation: an empirical investigation of procedural prompts

Abstract.  Information system success is dependent upon the effectiveness of requirements elicitation. Requirements elicitation is subject to numerous challenges, however, including cognitive limitations of analysts. In the present study, we test prompts designed to overcome the cognitive limitations that cause analysts to gather inadequate and inaccurate requirements. The study’s results indicate that providing analysts with procedural prompts to aid their requirements elicitation can result in the acquisition of additional meaningful requirements. In addition, the procedural prompts designed to mitigate cognitive challenges were significantly more effective than simple interrogatory prompts. Theoretical implications for the elicitation of requirements and practical implications for the training and practice of systems analysts are discussed.

Stopping Rule Use During Web-Based Search

The world wide web has become a ubiquitous tool for information search. The focal point of web navigation has changed over the past few years from destination sites to search engines, and search activity thus determines where most people spend most of their time online. However, little is known about how and why people stop their search efforts. Such an understanding holds much promise for both website design and marketing efforts. Building on an established theoretical and empirical foundation, we investigate the heuristics, or stopping rules, that people use to end search behavior. In the present study, subjects engaged in an online shopping task and then completed a questionnaire concerning why they stopped their searches. Results showed that some stopping rules were used more than others, and the proportions differed from those used in some prior contexts. Implications for information search theory and website design are discussed.