Impact of Web Searching and Social Feedback on Consumer Decision Making
Author Information
Author(s): Annie YS Lau, Enrico W Coiera
Primary Institution: University of New South Wales
Hypothesis
Can searching on the World Wide Web improve consumers’ accuracy in answering health questions and are consumers’ answers influenced by social feedback?
Conclusion
Searching across quality health information sources on the Web can improve consumers’ accuracy in answering health questions.
Supporting Evidence
- Subjects improved their correct answers from 61.2% pre-search to 82.0% post-search.
- Confidence in correct answers increased significantly after searching.
- Participants who were not confident were more likely to change their answers after feedback.
Takeaway
When people look for health information online, they often get better at answering questions, but just because they feel sure about their answers doesn't mean they're right.
Methodology
A pre/post prospective online study with a convenience sample of undergraduate students who answered health questions before and after searching online.
Potential Biases
Participants may have been influenced by their confidence levels and social feedback, which could skew results.
Limitations
The study used a convenience sample from one university, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
{"gender":{"female":130,"male":81},"age":{"under_25":139,"25_to_34":46,"35_to_44":12,"45_and_over":14}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 53.3-59.6
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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