Satisficing Theory

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In seeking information sources, individuals are motivated to seek information to satisfy their information needs (Wilson, 2006). The current technologies that enable information seekers to seek information faster without boundary lead to the information glut (Prabha et al., 2007). As such understanding how information seekers seek information sources and how they select the information source to meet their information needs is an urgency to avoid information redundancy, inadequacy and anxiety (Prabha et al., 2007). Understanding the concept of satisficing provides an explanation on how information seekers assess on how much information is enough to satisfy their information needs. Also, by understanding the satisficing behaviour in the context…show more content…
Satisficing had been interpreted in many ways in different studies, including information management (Berryman, 2008). According to Simon (1971), satisficing behaviour happen when information seekers make the decision when the alternative is sufficient to meet their objectives. In decision theory, satisficing is used to understand how people measured they had enough information and decide to stop searching when they have sufficient information (Berryman, 2008). According to Berryman (2008), the theory of bounded rationality and satisficing (Simon, 1996) influenced the behavioural of decision…show more content…
The concept of satisficing behaviour postulates that an individual who is bound to the optimal rationality has to stop searching when he/she recognises the information that is good enough, even if he/she knew that further searching will lead to finding better information (Berryman, 2008). This satisficing behaviour is also known as the bounded rationality (Simon, 1955). Schwartz (2004) stated that satisficing behaviour is an effective approach because, when information seekers are having many choices, they tend to feel anxious, while satisficing approach will tend to increase happiness. Although satisficing behaviour is the appropriate approach in seeking information.The concept of satisficing behaviour may reduce information avoidance or the random selection of sources and materials (Bawden & Robinson,
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