Information Overload Among Students – The Role of Coping Strategies and Self-Esteem. A Research Report

This research aims to learn the correlation between information overload and various aspects of students’ psychosocial functioning, such as perceived stress levels, coping strategies presented, and their own resource status. The study was conducted using a survey method, employing a survey questionnaire developed by the authors. A sample of N = 269 students from various fields of study at a public university in central Poland was interviewed in the survey. The results of the research indicate that students who experienced information overload exhibited higher levels of daily stress, and their coping behaviors focused on evasive and emotional strategies rather than task- or cognitive-based ones. The overloaded group (N = 231) revealed a lower volume of own resources, e.g., they declared a less stable living situation and lower level of information literacy. Further, it was found that, for students who experienced information overload, it translated into a higher negative impact on their learning achievements compared to the students in the non-overloaded group. The results of the research are discussed vis-à-vis the Conservation of Resources theory given by Stevan Hobfoll, and implications for possible countermeasures and further research are identified.