Project Description

Health-related information can be obtained from a wide range of social, analog, and digital sources: nowadays, a majority of the information is gathered on the Internet, supplemented by consultations with medical experts, conversations with family members and friends as well as conventional media (books, journals, TV reports). The aim of the research project PHILMS is to investigate the factors influencing the search for health-related information in relevant sources. An empirically based model for the prediction of source usage is derived from the findings.

In subjectively uncertain and ambiguous situations, for example, in cases of physical and mental complaints of an unknown cause, a need for health information arises. This is the pivotal assumption of PHILMS. Action theory based personality models propose that, in such situations, individual dispositions are relevant for the actual behavior. Generalized expectations (e.g., self-efficacy beliefs, trust in the reliability of particular information sources), «classic» personality traits, personal value orientations, and motives are assumed to have an impact on

• what type of sources individuals prefer when seeking health-related information,
• how comprehensive (e.g., superficial vs. profound, single vs.multiple sources) the explored sources are, and
• how the obtained information is weighted when making health decisions.

Domain-specific «information literacy» might play a crucial role in using multiple information sources, i.e., the knowledge, skill , and abilities that enable individuals to obtain, process, and understand health information needed to make appropriate health decisions (health information literacy).

The assumptions in the predictive model are tested by means of a multimethod analysis approach. Therefore, mainly questionnaires and objective skill assessments, but also interviews and observation techniques are employed to measure information seeking behavior.

Publications

In press

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., & Rosman, T. (in press).  When freedom of choice leads to bias: How threat fosters selective exposure to health information. Frontiers in Psychology.

2019

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., Rosman, T., & Mayer, A.-K. (2019).  The Role of Approach and Avoidance Motivation and Emotion Regulation in Coping via Health Information Seeking. Current Psychology, 1–10. 
  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00488-3.

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., Rosman, T., & Mayer, A.-K. (2019). Why do we want health information? The Goals Associated With Health Information Seeking Questionnaire (GAINS). Psychology & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2019.1644336

2018

• Mayer, A.-K. (Ed.). (2018). Health literacy across the life span. Lengerich, Germany: Pabst Science Publishers.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., Rosman, T. , & Mayer, A.-K. (2018). Unveiling the subjective perception of health information sources: A three-dimensional source taxonomy based on similarity judgements. Frontiers in Communication 3:57.
  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2018.00057.

2017

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., & Mayer, A.-K. (2017). Construction and psychometric analysis of a questionnaire measuring goals associated with health information seeking. In A. Schorr (Hrsg.), Health Psychology 2017 - Kurzfassungen (S. 30 - 32). Kongress für Gesundheitspsychologie, Siegen, Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., & Mayer, A.-K. (2017). Flight of Icarus- How Overestimating one's health information literacy might lead to dysfunctional information behavior. In A. Schorr (Hrsg.), Health Psychology 2017 - Kurzfassungen (S. 30 - 32). Kongress für Gesundheitspsychologie, Siegen, Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers.

Talks/Posters

2019

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., Rosman, T. & Mayer, A.-K. (2019, September).
  Emotionsregulatorische und motivationale Aspekte bei der Suche nach Gesundheitsinformationen. Paper presented at PAEPSY-Tagung 2019, Leipzig, Germany.

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., Rosman, T., & Mayer, A-K. (2019, September).
  The role of motivational dispositions and emotion regulation in coping via health information seeking. Paper presented at the 33rd Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., & Rosman, T. (2019, September).
  Effekte einer Über- oder Unterschätzung relevanter Fähigkeiten bei der Präferenz von Quellen für Gesundheitsinformationen. Paper presented at PAEPSY-Tagung 2019, Leipzig, Germany.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A. & Rosman, T. (2019, September).
  Know Thyself - The Importance of Adequate vs. Inadequate Self-assessment of Relevant Skills in the Preference of Health Information Sources. Paper presented at 15th Conference on Personality and Psychological Assessment (DPPD), Dresden, Germany.

2018

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., & Mayer, A.-K. (2018, September).
  Evaluating and Constructing Tools for the Assessment of Information Literacy - Workshop. European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL), Oulu, Finland.

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., Rosman, T., & Mayer, A.-K. (2018, September).
  Development of a questionnaire measuring individual goals of health information seeking (GAINS). Cochrane Colloquium, Edinburgh, UK.

• Mayer, A.-K. (2018, September).
  "Wollen" und "Können" als Voraussetzungen informationskompetenten Verhaltens. Eingeladener Vortrag auf dem 2. Informationskompetenz-Tag Deutschland/Österreich/Schweiz, Universität Bamberg.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., & Mayer, A.-K. (2018, September).
  Information preferences when facing a health threat - the role of subjective versus objective health information literacy. European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL), Oulu, Finland.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., Rosman, T., & Mayer, A.-K. (2018, September).
  From chaos to clarity: A three-dimensional taxonomy of health information sources. 51. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Frankfurt/Main.

2017

• Chasiotis, A., Wedderhoff, O., & Mayer, A.-K. (2017, August). Construction and psychometric analysis of a questionnaire measuring goals associated with health information seeking. Vortrag auf dem Kongress für Gesundheitspsychologie, Siegen, Deutschland.

• Wedderhoff, O., Chasiotis, A., & Mayer, A.-K. (2017, August). Flight of Icarus- How Overestimating one's health information literacy might lead to dysfunctional information behavior. Vortrag auf dem Kongress für Gesundheitspsychologie, Siegen, Deutschland.