Human and Information Interaction

Analysis of personality traits affecting the information-seeking behavior of graduate students of Tabriz University

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Afshin Hamdipour 1
Hashem Atapour 2
Negin Kajaiee 3

1 Corresponding Author, Associate Professor, Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: hamdipour@tabrizu.ac.ir

2 Associate Professor, Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: hashematapour@tabrizu.ac.ir

3 MSc., Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: k.n199794@gmail.com

Abstract
Purpose: Information-seeking behavior (ISB) is influenced by various aspects of human behavior. The purpose of this research is to identify personality traits that affect the ISB of graduate students of Tabriz University.
Methods: The current research is practical and has been carried out using a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population of the study was all graduate students of Tabriz University (N=2826), 338 of whom were selected as the statistical sample using a stratified random method, and the questionnaire was distributed among them. In order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation and multiple linear regression test) were used.
Findings: The findings of the present study showed that all five dimensions of personality traits (extroversion, conscientiousness, adaptability, acceptance of experience, and neuroticism) have a significant effect on the ISB of graduate students of Tabriz University; So that extroversion, conscientiousness, adaptability, and acceptance of experience have a positive effect and neuroticism has a negative effect on their ISB. The results of multiple linear regression also showed that the independent variables, extroversion, conscientiousness, adaptability, acceptance of experience, and neuroticism are significant predictors of ISB, which explain a total of 25.6% of the changes related to the dependent variable. Among the 5 independent variables, the contribution of the variable of conscientiousness with a beta coefficient of 0.220 was more than other variables.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study confirmed the effect of five important personality traits on ISB. It’s expected that librarians and information specialists consider the different aspects of personality traits in ISB and pay attention to the fact that knowledge of these issues will help them in providing effective information services to students.

Keywords

Information-seeking behavior
Information need
personality traits
Individual differences
Postgraduate students
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Human and Information Interaction
Volume 11, Issue 3
Autumn 2024
Pages 97-112