Dissertation Information for Elissa Ballesteros NAME: - Elissa Ballesteros
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- University of Texas, Austin (USA) (1995)
ADVISORS: - E. Glynn Harmon
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Francis L. Miksa - Billie Grace Herring - Anthony Debons - Frank Wayland Wicker
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: Unconscious cognition in the conduct of inquiry: An information counseling approach
Abstract: An underlying, basic assumption in contemporary information retrieval research is that inquiry is driven by conscious cognition, while the role of unconscious cognition has been largely assumed away or unacknowledged. Consequently, information retrieval theory fails to explain, among other things, why inquirers tend to represent their problems so poorly, particularly at the outset of inquiry. To direct inquiry successfully, it is crucial to generate and formulate initial questions that truly represent deeper cognitive needs residing in the unconscious.
For the purposes of this research, unconscious cognition is defined as that set of cognitive contents and processes in the cognitive system that is unavailable to awareness but nevertheless affects thought and action. Accordingly, this research focuses on the elicitation of unconscious cognition in the course of in-depth inquiry, and uses an information counseling approach with the aid of a programmed relaxation device (audiovisual integrator) and electroencephalographic (EEG) computerized biofeedback technology.
Following a two-year series of pilot studies, an experiment was conducted on 36 graduate students and faculty members assigned randomly to an experimental and a control group. Members of both groups were first asked to represent a research problem. The experimental group was then subjected to a 20-minute, deep relaxation program to induce an altered state of consciousness in the 4-14 Hz range. The control group had an unprogrammed interval of the same duration. Subsequently, both groups represented their problem again, and compared and contrasted their own representations. The experimental group members showed marked increases in intuition, insight, ideas, affect, and conceptual fluidity, resulting in a clearer and more holistic understanding of their respective problems. The null hypothesis of no significant difference between the groups was rejected at the.05 level, using a single factor ANOVA.
The potential contribution of this research is its demonstration of the positive impact of the elicitation of unconscious cognition on the formulation and representation of research problems for the inquirer and the intermediary. The research also has implications for the more effective design of human-computer interfaces, and the promotion of greater user friendliness in online environments.
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MPACT Scores for Elissa Ballesteros A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:25:47
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