Current approaches and new directions for research and theorizing on health and risk information acquisition behavior

This paper presents a state-of-the-art review on health and risk information acquisition, focusing on current approaches to conceptualizing, theorizing, and measuring information acquisition. We argue the current focus on seeking and scanning limits our understanding of the complex phenomenon of information acquisition and that scholars should consider examining a broader range of behaviors. In addition to reviewing current theorizing on information seeking, we argue for more macro theories of information acquisition behavior that better consider the current information environment and situations under which individuals acquire information, as well as theories that better delineate the process and effects of seeking. We also discuss new methods for capturing and measuring information acquisition behavior and present a roadmap for future research.