Information Foraging Theory
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Information foraging theory borrows the ecology of animal foraging: a person seeking information moves between information patches, and cues such as link text and titles release an information scent that grows stronger as it nears the target, raising the chance of a click. The forager maximizes gain per unit of effort, which explains how people actually navigate an information environment.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Strengthen the scent: write clear titles and descriptive links so the target smells close - Cut the travel cost: reduce the effort of moving between patches with good navigation - Watch for false scent: recognize clickbait that promises game and delivers nothing
Anchor fast decisions
Each information source is a patch, and each cue emits a scent whose strength tracks the likelihood of finding the target nearby, so the forager allocates attention by expected gain against movement cost. Because the calculus is relative, a forager stays in a patch until its marginal yield drops below the average of the environment, and then moves on.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_foragingverified
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