Anxiously seeking answers: how attitude affects search performance

This study analyzes the effects of attitudes and experience on the search process. Ninety-seven participants sought answers to six information requests by conducting searches in a controlled Web environment. Our findings show that computer anxiety had a negative effect on the participants´ search performance, their confidence in the correctness of their answers, and their satisfaction with the search process, and a positive effect on the amount of time spent on the search tasks. The participants´ perceptions of their ability to perform search tasks and their prior search experience were both highly correlated with confidence, but ultimately were irrelevant to their actual performance. These findings, coupled with results from earlier studies, highlight the need for search interfaces that reduce anxiety by supporting users throughout the search process.