M. Kurosu (Ed.): Human-Computer Interaction, Part II, HCII 2013, LNCS 8005, pp. 181–188, 2013. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Web Searching for Health Information: An Observational Study to Explore Users’ Emotions Pallavi Rao Gadahad, Yin-Leng Theng, Joanna Sin Sie Ching, and Natalie Pang Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University pallavi1@e.ntu.edu.sg, {tyltheng,joanna.sin,nlspang}@ntu.edu.sg Abstract. To-date, most of the research concerning online health information search has focused on how users search the Web and how they evaluate health websites. Despite the concerns raised on the impact of online health information on users, there is little research specifically exploring the problems users en- counter and emotions they exhibit during the search process. In this paper, we address this gap by conducting an observational study to understand how users search the Web for health information, the problems they encounter and the emotions they express during the search process. Through eye-tracking, think- aloud and interviews, we examined users’ search process holistically. Results showed that users exhibited various negative emotions during the search process especially when there are perceived health risks. Highlighting the theo- retical and practical implications of this study, this paper makes recommenda- tions for future research to delve deeper into understanding users’ emotions during Web searching for health information. Keywords: Web Search, Online Health Information, Emotion. 1 Introduction Currently, searching for health information constitutes an important use of the Web. As per the recent Pew Internet & American Life study, healthcare is high among Web searches [1]. This growing trend has triggered new research directions relating to users’ Web searching for health information and has provided challenging opportuni- ties for system developers. Building better systems requires a holistic understanding of how users interact with the Web and the content they find on the Web [2]. In spite of many advantages, studies have reported that online health information significantly impacts users’ healthcare decisions such as wrong self-diagnosis [3], engaging in treatment strategies inconsistent with professional recommendations [4] and buying over the counter drugs [5]. A few studies have also raised concerns re- garding negative emotions such as increased depression [6] and health anxiety [7, 8, 9] after being exposed to online health information. Most of the research concerning Web searching for health information has focused on how users search the Web and how they evaluate health websites. Despite the con- cerns raised on the impact of online health information on general public, there is little research specifically exploring the problems users encounter and emotions they exhibit during the search process. Prior studies in healthcare have shown that negative emotions about health are one of the major causes for users’ healthcare decisions