Emotional design II: Affective information behavior research with adult and child populations

Abstract

Abstract“;Emotions, we now know, change the way the human mind solves problems—the emotional system changes how the cognitive system operates.” (Norman, 2004: 18). Affective variables drive cognitive information behavior through a person's interests, motivation, feelings, and persistence. Recent research suggests that uncertainty contributes to cognitive load and negatively affects success, while optimism positively affects it (Nahl, 2004; 2005). Therefore, a focus on the interaction of affect and cognition, particularly studies examining the varieties of affect that arise in different situations and their impact on cognition, is necessary to understanding the information behavior of various groups. The research presented includes international data, both child and adult populations, and a variety of information settings. The research domains of the presenters include affective load in information tasks (Nahl), emotion in international children's use of cross‐cultural interfaces (Bilal), emotional metadata of children (Druin), and information behavior in everyday life (Fisher). The panelists present findings from their current research on affective information behavior (AIB) that illustrates its determining effect on thinking and action, and provide a review of research in the affective domain from related fields.