Exploring information literacy in the context of the attention economy: A HEURISTIC-BASED FRAMEWORK for ATTITUDE CERTAINTY

By nature of their immersion in the attention economy, digital natives are subject to persistent, pervasive priming and due to the associated commoditization of time and relevance, are subject to making decisions in an environment of higher cognitive loading and decreased motivation. This emerging paradigm affects information literacy and necessitates a reevaluation of the framework for the development of certainty. This article describes a new framework for understanding the development of attitude certainty within the attention economy and discusses preliminary, qualitative research examining decision making among digital natives. Data indicate attitude certainty appraisals within this demographic are less consistent with systematic appraisals of previous models and more consistent with socially influenced heuristic cues. The heuristic-based framework (HBF) for attitude certainty not only extends current theory but also synthesizes multi-disciplinary research in an attempt to explicate these decision patterns and strategies. Data suggest many implications for theory including preparing engineering managers and business leaders to build and manage digitally enabled cultures and as a basis for pedagogical intervention.