• Information Systems Review
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.219-238
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• 2015

As Internet and IT have been developed, people have been exposed to large amounts of information. So, many online information providers recommend relevant information to users to relieve an information overload. However, information recommendation which is based on the taste and preference of a user can lead to a problem of unbalanced information consumption. Prior research about online information has not investigated the side-effect of a recommendation function. This research suggests IT solutions for alleviating unbalanced information consumption behavior. Based on adaptation level theory and expectancy theory, we proposed self-reference point diagnosticity interface and social-reference point diagnosticity interface to help people to consume information following their own information consuming goal. We hypothesized positive impacts of these two interfaces on the self-awareness about information consuming pattern. And we predicted that self-awareness has a positive impact on the motivation and actual behavior to conform the ideal information consuming pattern which the user sets. Laboratory experiment was executed as a research method. As a result, the self-reference diagnosticity interface leaded to higher self-awareness and mitigated the unbalanced information consumption. But, the social-reference diagnosticity interface and the motivation to improve the information consuming behavior had no significant results. Academic and practical implications are discussed.