Way-finding strategies as predictors of internet site search performance and use of remote navigation systems

A study was conducted to determine if cognitive strategies used while navigating physical environments were also linked to Internet site navigation. One hundred and eighty-four female subjects were screened for an experiment based on their navigation strategies and Internet experience. The Way-Finding Strategy Scale (Lawton 1994) was used to classify navigator strategy and the Internet Activity Survey (Howard, Rainie, & Jones, 2001) was used to screen Internet experience. Navigator strategy (route or orientation), Internet task (route or orientation), and Internet site condition (route links broken, site map link broken, or no links broken) served as independent variables in a 2 x 2 x 3 mixed design. Seventy-two subjects (36 route, and 36 orientation navigators) performed 2 route and 2 orientation Internet search tasks under one of three Internet site conditions. Significant effects for navigator strategy were found; orientation navigators viewed fewer Internet pages and provided lower Internet task difficulty ratings than route navigators. Differences in navigator strategy were also obtained for measures of incorrect task answers and overall site ease-of-use ratings; orientation navigators selected more incorrect task answers when performing route tasks, but fewer incorrect task answers when performing orientation tasks than route navigators; route navigators rated the site map link broken Internet site condition more difficult to use than orientation navigators. Navigator strategy did not predict differential use of remote navigation systems as hypothesized (i.e., search links, site map link, home link). However, Internet task type did influence the use of remote navigation systems. Internet experience was not significantly associated with any of the dependent variables.