Relationship between Users’ Past Experience and Cognitive Factors that Influence Information Seeking: A Case Study of Graduate Students in Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Previous studies have not sufficiently explained what triggers users to use or avoid using reference information service. They have not identified the different factors that trigger information seeking. The studies have suggested that users’ past experience as a variable may be useful for better understanding the cognitive and social background of human information processing and may have important implications in information seeking process. Objective: There is need to investigate the relationship between users’ past experience and cognitive information seeking behavior as thiscan help information system design. Method: To develop the variables, Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation was used. A descriptive survey method was used to study a sample size of 384 students. Results: Results showed evidence that expectancy theory can be used to explain students’ information seeking behavior. Depending on the users’ experience, their perception of service quality, need satisfaction and personal competencies, students would seek or avoid using the library in the future. Conclusion: Cognitive information seeking process can be influenced by user-centric service. Users’ past experiences, their perception of service quality, need satisfaction and personal competencies are major factors in deciding on using or avoid using the library in the future. The findings support the idea that understanding cognitive information behavior can help University libraries to plan appropriate services. The implications of this study are that there are key cognitive drivers such as user past experiences that trigger users’ information seeking behavior in Academic libraries.