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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until June 13, 2025

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Examining the day-to-day antecedents and consequences of information avoidance: A daily diary study

Foust, Jeremy Lee
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5386-7746
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1718019606189125

Abstract Details

2024, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences.
Information avoidance is the act of preventing or delaying learning unwanted information. People may avoid information to avoid negative future emotions or when they lack sufficient coping resources. Although cross-sectional, lab-based empirical research has identified antecedents of information avoidance, little research has investigated information avoidance consequences. The present daily diary study examined the temporal dynamics of college students’ information avoidance in everyday life across different contexts. It was hypothesized that greater information avoidance would be associated with lower negative affect, lower coping resources and self-efficacy, and less adaptive behavior. Participants (n=182, 79.56% female, 79.01% white, Mage=20.30 years) responded to a baseline survey and nightly surveys for 14 days (yielding approximately 2,200 diaries). Measures included self-reported information avoidance, affect, coping resources, and behavior engagement. Cross-sectional analyses tested baseline factors predicting aggregate data over the two-week diary period. Within- and between-person associations were tested using concurrent and cross-lagged multilevel models controlling for sociodemographic factors. The average participant reported avoiding information in at least one context on 26.36% of days, with more variability in information avoidance explained within-persons compared to between-persons. Participants most frequently avoided information about money, the news, and physical activity. Participants who reported greater negative affect (B=0.66, p=.024), lower social support (B=-0.43, p=.025), lower money self-efficacy (B=-0.35, p=.034), and lower health self-efficacy (B=-0.29, p=.023) at baseline reported more instances of information avoidance over the two-week period. On days in which participants reported greater negative affect (OR=1.29, p=.002) and lower domain-specific self-efficacy (grades, money, health, and physical activity; ORs: 0.37-0.53; ps<.001) they were more likely to avoid information. On days after participants reported greater positive affect (OR=1.24, p=.021), and lower money (OR=0.71, p=.003) and physical activity (OR=0.73, p=.013) self-efficacy they were more likely to avoid information. There were no relationships among information avoidance and next-day affect, efficacy, or behavior, except for screen time (B=15.15, p=.012). Findings from the present study indicate that negative affect and self-efficacy may predict day-to-day decisions to avoid information across many contexts. Further understanding the temporal dynamics of information avoidance in everyday life will help refine theories and best practices concerning how and when information is disseminated.
Jennifer Taber (Committee Chair)
John Updegraff (Committee Member)
Jeffrey Ciesla (Committee Member)
Jennifer Roche (Committee Member)
Rebecca Catto (Committee Member)
122 p.
Psychology
information avoidance; affect; coping; health behavior; multilevel modeling

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Foust, J. L. (2024). Examining the day-to-day antecedents and consequences of information avoidance: A daily diary study [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1718019606189125

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Foust, Jeremy. Examining the day-to-day antecedents and consequences of information avoidance: A daily diary study. 2024. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1718019606189125.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Foust, Jeremy. "Examining the day-to-day antecedents and consequences of information avoidance: A daily diary study." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1718019606189125

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1718019606189125
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.