The Information Overload Controversy: An Alternative Viewpoint

This paper reviews the information overload controversy and presents a methodology for investigating the effects of information load on consumer decision making performance and proposes a framework for doing so.

Abstract

This paper reviews the information overload controversy and presents a methodology for investigating the effects of information load on consumer decision making performance. The proposed framework enables the statistical testing of specific hypotheses and can incorporate several extensions and refinements. The methodology is illustrated by re-analyzing the published data of previous studies; some interesting findings emerge from the analysis. The paper concludes with some public policy and managerial implications of the consumer information overload concept.