Abstract:

Data news using information visualization technology is prevalent in everyday

life. Different from that in traditional task-oriented information visualization applications，

the audience’s information reception tends to be influenced by subjective intention， which

causes information avoidance behavior. The aim of this study is to explore the predictors and

mechanisms of the avoidance behavior of data news visualization information. In this study，

mixed research methods were adopted. In the qualitative research part， semi-structured

interviews were conducted on 15 interviewees， and influencing factors were obtained through

encoding. In the quantitative part， a scale was developed based on the results of qualitative

research. Two questionnaires were distributed to obtain the data of 184 and 436 respondents

respectively， and statistical analysis was conducted by factor analysis and hierarchical

regression. Seven influencing factors were found in the qualitative research part， and three of

them i.e. “information overload”，“

diagram contempt” and “content unfamiliar degree”， were

proved to be the factors that significantly affected the avoidance of visual information in the

quantitative research part. The results showed that the avoidance behavior was mainly affected

by the expected cognitive resource consumption， and internal and external factors worked

together in the process.

Key words:

Information avoidance Data news Visualized information Information overload

CLC Number: 

• G237