Digital hoarding behaviours: measurement and evaluation

The social and psychological characteristics of individuals who hoard physical items are quite well understood, however very little is known about the psychological characteristics of those who hoard digital items and the kinds of material they hoard. In this study, we designed a new questionnaire (Digital Behaviours Questionnaire: DBQ) comprising 2 sections: the Digital Hoarding Questionnaire (DHQ) assessing two key components of physical hoarding (accumulation and difficulty discarding); and the second measuring the extent of digital hoarding in the workplace (Digital Behaviours in the Workplace Questionnaire: DBWQ). In an initial study comprising 424 adults we established the psychometric properties of the questionnaires. In a second study, we presented revised versions of the questionnaires to a new sample of 203 adults, and confirmed their validity and reliability. Both samples revealed that digital hoarding was common (with emails being the most commonly hoarded items) and that hoarding behaviours at work could be predicted by the 10 item DHQ. Digital hoarding was significantly higher in employees who identified as having ‘data protection responsibilities’, suggesting that the problem may be influenced by working practices. In sum, we have validated a new psychometric measure to assess digital hoarding, documented some of its psychological characteristics, and shown that it can predict digital hoarding in the workplace

A Guided Tour Study of the Untidy But Inspirational PIM of Visual Artists

While all individuals deal with increasingly large amounts of digital information in their everyday lives and professionally, prior works suggest visual artists have unique information management practices and challenges. This study therefore examined the personal information management (PIM) practices and challenges of six practising visual artists using guided tours and short interviews. It was found that the visual artists had some unique practices connected to their strong emphasis on serendipity, inspiration, and visual dimensions of information. Like non-artists, the participants faced challenges across all phases of PIM, chiefly an excess of information and fragmented organisation, and they found it especially hard to assess how personal and valuable their information could be. After characterising this rarely discussed PIM demographic, we draw on the findings to provide concrete recommendations for artists doing PIM, for information and cultural heritage institutions, and for designers of PIM software.Comment: 14 pages. Final version to be published in ASIS&T '23: Proceedings of the 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, 6

Understanding Digital Hoarding Behaviors of Social Media Users from a Stress Coping Perspective

Despite the information value brought by social media, the abundance of information on social media also contributes to digital hoarding. However, the underlying mechanisms about how digital hoarding behaviors in the social media context are formed has not been well studied. Thus, capturing the unique features of social media, this study tries to explore the impacts of information characteristics on digital hoarding from a stress coping perspective. Specifically, we identify three key information characteristics of social media namely information narrowing, information redundancy and information overload, and proposes that these information characteristics affect digital hoarding through two key cognitive appraisals namely perceived value uncertainty and cognitive load. Further, individuals\u27 information-seeking self-efficacy is proposed to moderate the relationship between cognitive appraisals and digital hoarding. A survey was administered to examine the proposed research model. The theoretical and practical implications are thoroughly examined and discussed finally

Studi Eksperimen Aktivitas Fotografi untuk Menurunkan Tingkat Kecemasan dan Stres

Camera feature on a smartphone may bring positive impacts but it was rarely scientifically investigated. This research examines therapeutic effect of photography in reducing anxiety and stress symptoms through experimental design. Twenty participants were enrolled into two studies and were split into control group and treatment group receiving twelve sessions of photography therapy. Anxiety and stress were measured with DASS-42. Wilcoxon signed rank test and binary logistic regression showed photography therapy sessions were associated with lower level of anxiety and stress on both study groups. Careful conclusion of therapeutic photography efficacy was discussed due to low level of control during experiment.Penggunaan fitur kamera pada smartphone dapat membawa dampak positif namun belum banyak dikaji secara empirik. Penelitian ini menguji efek therapeutic fotografi dalam menurunkan gejala kecemasan dan stres dengan menggunakan desain eksperimen. Dua puluh partisipan tergabung ke dalam dua studi yang dipisahkan atas kelompok kontrol dan kelompok yang menerima dua belas sesi terapi fotografi. Tingkat kecemasan dan stres diukur dengan menggunakan alat ukur DASS-42. Hasil analisis Wilcoxon signed rank test dan binary logistic regression menunjukkan sesi terapi fotografi terasosiasi dengan penurunan tingkat kecemasan dan stres pada kedua kelompok studi. Kajian terhadap rendahnya kendali variabel selama eksperimen menjadi faktor yang penting diperhatikan dalam penarikan simpulan efektivitas therapeutic fotografi

Overcoming premature smartphone obsolescence amongst young adults

Rapid smartphone replacement contributes significantly to electronic waste issues. This paper investigates determinants of premature smartphone obsolescence amongst young adults and proposes psychology-based solutions to reduce associated sustainability impacts. Activity Theory maps replacement journeys to focus interventions on problem recognition. Grounded in contemporary Installation Theory, obsolescence drivers are analysed across physical affordances, embodied competencies and social regulations. Smartphone replacement journeys are mapped through Activity Theory to focus on problem recognition as an intervention point. Expert interviews and a user survey supplement literature in investigating obsolescence factors. Solutions are then structured along Installation Theory dimensions for a systemic approach targeting underlying barriers. Solutions address the three layers of behavioural determination. Smartphone modularity addresses physical issues, like repairability and upgrade. Consumer education campaigns improve competencies and perceptions, hereby fostering longer use. A “Slow Smartphone Movement” is proposed, leveraging social strategies, including pledges and online communities, to redefine cultural obsolescence narratives and address the positional aspects of having the latest generation smartphone. Together these multilayered interventions provide actionable pathways to prolonging lifespan by fundamentally reshaping psychological ownership patterns underlying premature smartphone disposal. Rather than isolated initiatives, these synergistic solutions provide specific, evidence-based pathways to fundamentally transforming entrenched obsolescence mindsets and behaviours amongst younger demographics. The paper concludes by outlining study limitations and stating that future research must empirically evaluate the proposed solutions. The current paper investigates the determinants and consequences of premature smartphone obsolescence amongst young adults and proposes psychology-based solutions to reduce its detrimental environmental and societal impact. Activity Theory was used to define the research scope, ultimately focusing on the first stage in the buyer behaviour model, reflecting a prototypical customer journey along five consecutive decision stages. Problem recognition, essentially the perceived difference between the current and desired state of being, was subsequently analysed through the three interrelated layers of Installation Theory, physical affordances, embodied competencies, and social regulations. Eventually, potential solutions, grounded in academic literature, expert interviews, and a consumer survey, were organised along the three dimensions of installation theory, creating a holistic and effective strategy for tackling smartphone obsolescence. Smartphone modularity represents a promising starting point to address the problems associated with physical affordances, such as broken parts, worn batteries, and planned obsolescence more generally. Additionally, extensive consumer education coupled with awareness campaigns highlighting the alternatives to purchasing new products and awareness campaigns highlighting the alternatives to purchasing new products could tackle issues associated with embodied competencies. Lastly, social regulations manifested partly in the universal need for belonging and social inclusion, represent the last driver of smartphone obsolescence. Virtual communities and reward schemes could further foster lasting normative change, eventually helping redefine the detrimental consumerism culture

There is more than one type of hoarder: collecting, managing and hoarding digital data in the workplace

There are organizational and individual problems associated with the excessive accumulation of digital material, but little is known about why people hoard digital information in the workplace. We interviewed 20 participants from two large knowledge-intensive organizations (one academic, one commercial). These participants scored highly on the Digital Hoarding Questionnaire (DHQ). We asked them to discuss their information management practices, their reasons for keeping large amounts of digital data and the difficulties they faced in relation to deleting data. Using thematic analysis, we identified four underlying dimensions of digital hoarding (anxiety, disengagement, compliance and collection). We discuss these in relation to the consequences of digital hoarding for individuals and organizations—considering the implications for organizational culture, digital ownership and cybersecurity

¡MI PERFIL DE FACEBOOK ME REPRESENTA! UN ESTUDIO SOBRE LA RELACIÓN ENTRE FEMINISMO Y EL YO EXTENDIDO DIGITAL

As mídias sociais possibilitam aos usuários manifestar sua compreensão da sociedade, incluindo seu engajamento com movimentos sociais, como o feminismo. Nesse contexto, este estudo objetiva compreender como o perfil de usuárias feministas apresenta o “Eu estendido digital” em relação ao feminismo no Facebook. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa-exploratória a partir de entrevistas com usuários do Facebook que se consideram feministas e documentos gerados a partir de seus perfis. Por meio da análise de conteúdo dos dados coletados, foram identificadas duas categorias: (1) Ações Feministas (Envolvimento; Práticas e Influência do Facebook); e (2) “Eu estendido digital” (Identificação, Diferenciação, Centralização, Perda e Derivação). Os resultados demonstram que para usuárias que se autodeclaram feministas, o Facebook ajudou-as a obter uma identidade feminista mais forte. Para a maioria delas, o seu perfil faz parte de quem são. Estas usuárias também acreditam que derivam um pouco de suas identidades pelo Facebook e que esta mídia pode ser a porta de entrada para o feminismo. Assim, compreende-se que os perfis construídos no Facebook estendem digitalmente o “Eu” para os indivíduos pesquisados. Este estudo busca aprofundamento nas pesquisas relacionadas aos movimentos sociais no contexto virtual e a prática do feminismo no tipo de mídia estudado.Social media enable users to express their understanding of society, including their engagement with social movements, such as feminism. In this context, this study aims to understand how the user feminist user’s profile presents the “digital extended self” in relation to feminism on Facebook. A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted, based on interviews with Facebook users who consider themselves feminists, and documents generated from their profiles. Through content analysis of the data collected, two categories were identified: (1) Feminist actions (Engagement, Practices and Influence of Facebook); and (2) “digital extended self” (Identification, Differentiation, Centralization, Loss and Derivation). The results show that for users who consider themselves feminists, Facebook has helped them gain a stronger feminist identity. For the majority of them, their profile is part of who they are. These users also believe that they derive some of their identities through Facebook, and that this media can be a gateway to feminism. Thus, it is understood that the profiles constructed on Facebook digitally extend the “Self” for the individuals researched. This study seeks to deepen research on social movements in the virtual context, and the practice of feminism in the type of media studied.Los medios sociales les permiten a los usuarios manifestar su comprensión de la sociedad, incluyendo su compromiso con movimientos sociales como el feminismo. En ese contexto, este estudio tiene el objetivo de comprender cómo el perfil de usuarias feministas presenta el “yo extendido digital” en relación al feminismo en el Facebook. Para ello fue realizada una investigación cualitativa exploratoria a partir de entrevistas con usuarios del Facebook que se consideran feministas y documentos generados a partir de sus perfiles. Por medio del análisis de contenido de los datos recolectados, se identificaron dos categorías: (1) Acciones Feministas (Envolvimiento; Prácticas e Influencia del Facebook); y (2) “Yo extendido digital” (Identificación, Diferenciación, Centralización, Pérdida y Derivación). Los resultados demuestran que para usuarias que se auto declaran feministas, el Facebook les ayudó a obtener una identidad feminista más fuerte. Para la mayoría de ellas, el perfil forma parte de quienes son. Estas usuarias también creen que derivan un poco de sus identidades a través del Facebook y que este medio puede ser la puerta de entrada para el feminismo. Así, se comprende que los perfiles construidos en el Facebook extienden digitalmente el “Yo” para os individuos estudiados. Este trabajo quiere profundizar las investigaciones relacionadas a los movimientos sociales en el contexto virtual y la práctica del feminismo en el tipo de medio estudiado