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A Neuro-Cognitive Explanation for the Prevalence of Folder Navigation and Web Browsing

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Information Systems and Neuroscience

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation ((LNISO,volume 25))

Abstract

We describe our mapping of the neural correlates associated with different ways by which users access digital information. Despite advances in search technology and its flexibility, users prefer to retrieve files using hierarchical folders navigation. This requires an explanation. In two studies, using a dual task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we show that folder navigation uses brain structures involved in physical navigation, hence requiring little verbal attention. In contrast, search recruits classic language structures (Broca’s area). We further examine search versus browsing preferences on a popular supermarket website and show that users prefer browsing rather than searching for products. Qualitative analysis revealed that this preference was due to verbal-cognitive overload. Our next two studies will use the dual task paradigm and fMRI to examine the cognitive and neural correlates of search versus browsing in the web environment. We hypothesize that results will replicate our previous findings for files.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Ofer Bergman

  2. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Yael Benn

  3. The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Yael Benn

Authors
  1. Ofer Bergman
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  2. Yael Benn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ofer Bergman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Information Systems and Quantitative Sciences (ISQS), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA

    Fred D. Davis

  2. University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Steyr, Oberösterreich, Austria

    René Riedl

  3. Department of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Jan vom Brocke

  4. Department of Information Technology, HEC Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Pierre-Majorique Léger

  5. Department of Information Systems, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, USA

    Adriane B. Randolph

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Bergman, O., Benn, Y. (2018). A Neuro-Cognitive Explanation for the Prevalence of Folder Navigation and Web Browsing. In: Davis, F., Riedl, R., vom Brocke, J., Léger, PM., Randolph, A. (eds) Information Systems and Neuroscience. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67431-5_11

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