{"id":93480,"date":"2017-09-11T09:56:52","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T14:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2017\/09\/11\/the-elements-of-the-information-engagement-typology\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:17:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:17:01","slug":"the-elements-of-the-information-engagement-typology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2017\/09\/11\/the-elements-of-the-information-engagement-typology\/","title":{"rendered":"1. The elements of the information-engagement typology"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are any number of ways to assess the public\u2019s approach to facts and information. One method could involve case studies or experiments to test how people respond to specific information-evaluation challenges. Another\u00a0 might attempt an in-depth assessment of a specific event and research how people learned about it and reacted to it.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

In this study, Pew Research Center aimed to study broad patterns in people\u2019s approach to information and report on a spectrum of engagement among Americans ranging from relatively high enthusiasm to relatively deep wariness. The information-user typology here was built around analyzing five batches of questions in the survey: First, it assessed people\u2019s level of interest in some key news and information subjects. Second, it captured their trust in various information sources. Third, it explored areas where people are interested in learning and growing. Fourth, it probed aspects of their lifestyle that might tie to their ability to spend time with information. And fifth, it explored people\u2019s technology assets.<\/p>\n\n

This chapter runs through people\u2019s answers to those questions and how they fit together in the typology.<\/p>\n\n

1) Interest in key news and information topics<\/h5>\n\n

The questions covered people\u2019s level of interest across nine different topics. A majority are relatively interested in each of the different categories, with education, politics, and health and medical news among the topmost subjects that interest people.<\/p>\n\n

For the purposes of the typology, the model was built using the mean (average) number of topics that people said they are \u201cvery\u201d interested in. The Eager and Willing said they are very interested in 4.47 topics; the Confident are very interested in 3.48; the Cautious and Curious are very interested in 3.45 of these topics; the Doubtful are very interested in 3.08 of them; and the Wary are very interested in 2.32.<\/p>\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/h5>\n\n

2) Trust in information sources\n<\/p>\n\n

Beyond people\u2019s interest in topics, the survey looked at people\u2019s trust in eight information sources. Libraries and health care providers top the list of the most trusted sources that were queried, while social media is at the bottom.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, 30% of American adults say they do not trust any information source on our list \u201ca lot.\u201d On average, American adults trust 1.7 of the eight sources \u201ca lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The typology used the mean number of these sources that people trust a lot. The figure is 3.43 for the Confident; 3.05 for the Eager and Willing; 1.07 for the Cautious and Curious; .90 for the Doubtful; and .61 for the Wary.<\/p>\n\n

3) Learning outlook and interest<\/h5>\n\n

People\u2019s engagement with information can be tied to their interest in learning more. Several of this survey\u2019s questions borrowed from the analytical insight<\/a>s tied to whether people have a growth mindset or fixed mindset, developed by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck. Growth mindset<\/a> refers to people\u2019s attitudes about whether human beings are essentially fixed in their basic talents and traits, or whether they have the capacity to grow.<\/p>\n\n

One question asked for people\u2019s views about this statement: \u201cMusic talent can be developed by anyone.\u201d Some 28% say this statement describes them \u201cvery well,\u201d \u00a0and the variance among the groups on this answer was a meaningful input to the model.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Another question asked whether people think that training on how to use online resources for finding trustworthy information would help them in making decisions. Some 31% said that would help their ability to make decisions \u201ca lot.\u201d Again, there was notable variation among different groups around this answer.<\/p>\n\n

The third personal growth question dealt with the degree to which people thought they might be helped in making decisions if they got training aimed at making them more confident in using digital technology. Some 28% of adults said such training would contribute \u201ca lot\u201d to their decision-making capacity. And those answers varied across the groups.<\/p>\n\n

In all, 53% of Americans gave the strongest affirmative answer to at least one of these questions, and this became a useful predictor in helping establish which group people belonged in.<\/p>\n\n

4) Lifestyle issues<\/h5>\n\n

Additionally, the survey sought insights about time pressures and other stresses in people\u2019s lives that might tie to their ability and interest to engage with information. First, 39% of internet users (35% of all adults) say they \u201coccasionally\u201d or \u201cfrequently\u201d could use help finding the information they need online. These answers were strikingly different across the various typology groups. Second, 52% of Americans say this statement describes them very well: \u201cI\u2019m usually trying to do two or more things at once.\u201d Third, 37% of adults say this statement describes them very well: \u201cTrying new things is stressful for me.\u201d Fourth, 41% of the public says \u201cI am usually patient when I have to wait in line doing day-to-day errands\u201d describes them very well. Again, there was notable variance across the different groups in the way people answered these questions.<\/p>\n\n

5) Digital access tools<\/h5>\n\n

Finally, the survey covered the basic technology inventory of people\u2019s lives and found that three kinds of tools and access mattered to the typology. In this survey, 77% of respondents have a smartphone; 73% have a home broadband subscription; and 51% have a tablet computer. Some 42% of adults have all three, and we think of this as \u201caccess abundance.\u201d Statistical modeling showed those with such abundance had different engagement compared with those who two or fewer of those access tools.<\/p>\n\n

Cluster analysis yields the typology<\/h4>\n\n

A statistical technique called cluster analysis<\/a> yielded the five groups this report discusses. The technique places people into distinct categories based on the similarity of their answers to specific survey questions. Unlike many other statistical techniques, cluster analysis does not result in a single \u201ccorrect\u201d result. Instead, researchers run numerous versions of it\u00ad \u2013 that is, by asking statistical software to produce different numbers of clusters. They then judge each result by how analytically practical and substantively meaningful it is. Nearly every version researchers tried for this report had a great deal in common with the others, giving us strong confidence in the comparative shares of those who were relatively information engaged and information wary.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are any number of ways to assess the public\u2019s approach to facts and information. One method could involve case studies or experiments to test how people respond to specific information-evaluation challenges. Another\u00a0 might attempt an in-depth assessment of a specific event and research how people learned about it and reacted to it. In this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"relatedPosts":[],"reportMaterials":[],"multiSectionReport":[],"package_parts__enabled":false,"package_parts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[],"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[],"tags":[],"bylines":[883],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"level_of_effort":[],"primary_audience":[],"information_type":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[458],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[],"research-teams":[526],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-93480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","bylines-john-b-horrigan","formats-report","research-teams-internet"],"label":false,"post_parent":93487,"word_count":992,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2017\/09\/11\/the-elements-of-the-information-engagement-typology\/","art_direction":{"A1":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=564&h=317&crop=1","width":564,"height":317,"chartArt":false},"A2":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"A3":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=194&h=110&crop=1","width":194,"height":110,"chartArt":false},"A4":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"XL":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=640&h=320&crop=1","width":640,"height":320,"chartArt":false},"social":{"id":116638,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/09\/PI_2017.09.11_FactsAndInfo_featured.png?w=640&h=320&crop=1","width":640,"height":320,"chartArt":false}},"_embeds":[],"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[{"id":93487,"title":"How People Approach Facts and Information","slug":"how-people-approach-facts-and-information","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2017\/09\/11\/how-people-approach-facts-and-information\/","is_active":false},{"id":93480,"title":"1. 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