Comparison of Alpha Wave in Different Stages of Web Search: An Indicator for Selective Attention

Document Type : Research َ Article

Authors

1 PhD in Information Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz. Iran

2 Associate Professor, School of Knowledge and Information Science, Shiraz, Iran

3 Professor, School of Clinical Psychology, Shiraz, Iran

4 Yashar Moshfeghi PhD in Information Retrieval; Associate Professor; Strathclyde University; Glasgow, UK

Abstract

Purpose: This research aims to understand better users' cognitive and attentional processes during web searches and provide insights for improving user experience.
Method: This research is fundamental in terms of its objective, quantitative nature, and casual-comparative data collection method. Data on users' brain waves were collected using EEG devices at different stages of web search. The search stages included identifying information needs, query formulation, reviewing search engine results pages (SERPs), and relevance judgment of content pages.
Findings: The results showed that selective attention significantly differs across various stages of web search. The highest alpha wave activity was observed during the relevance judgment stage, while the lowest activity was noted during the query formulation and SERP review stages. These differences indicate changes in internal and external selective attention levels at different stages of web search.
Conclusion: Users' external selective attention decreases while their internal selective attention increases. Conversely, during query formulation and SERP review, because users quickly need to select relevant items among words and titles and engage with the search engine's interface, their external selective attention increases and internal selective attention decreases. This information can be used to develop more effective and user-friendly web search technologies and to enhance user experiences in digital environments.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 10 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 01 February 2025
  • Publish Date: 12 May 2026

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