Seeking interpersonal information over the Internet: An application of the theory of motivated information management to Internet use

Online information-seeking strategies are well understood in the context of health information acquisition but less is known about the information management of interpersonal information gathered over the Internet. One way to understand this nascent method for information seeking is to examine the motives that underlie one's intent to seek online information about others. The present study applies theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to online information seeking. The first goal of the study is to examine whether the processes predictive of offline interpersonal information seeking, articulated in TMIM, apply to mediated contexts. The second goal is to investigate whether predictions of TMIM are consistent across various relationship types. A survey design was employed to collect data from college students and nonstudent adults. The results of the study demonstrate strong support for the application of TMIM to information seeking over the Internet. The findings also indicate support for the model across various relationships except best friendships. Implications to research and theory on interpersonal information management over the Internet are discussed.