The Sense of Coherence, Information Mastering and Health

ÅboJune 7, 2007

Stefan Ek

Åbo Akademi University

Objective

To give a brief introduction:

• to the conception of ”Sense of Coherence” (Antonovsky 1979; 1987)

• to the conception of ”Information Literacy” (called ”Information Mastering” in this context)

• to the close relationship between these two concepts

Background

• the SOC can be measured by the orientation to life questionnaire, or the sense of coherence scale

• numerous studies have shown that the sense of coherence (SOC) covariates with the state of health

The Sense of Coherence (SOC)

–a global orientation (world view) that expresses the extent to which one has a pervasive, enduring though dynamic feeling of confidence that:

1. Comprehensibility

• the stimuli deriving from one's internal and external environments in the course of living are structured, predictable, and explicable; the life-world is somewhat consistent

The cognitive component

2. Manageability

• the resources are available to one to meet the demands posed by the stimuli; the underload-overload balance, or a critical tolerance load applied to both ends of the load spectrum is important here

The instrumental component

3. Meaningfulness

• these demands are challenges, worthy of investment and engagement; participation in decision-making is important here

- it is important to stress that the crucial point is not control, but participation

The motivational component

Human information processing

• the more complex the messages directed at a person→ → →

• the greater the potential for noise rather than information → → →

• the greater the difficulty in integrating information in the internal processing system (knowledge construction) → → →

• the greater the danger of confusion of output

SOC is thus determined by:

1. the extent to which a person is linked to social structures from which

2. information is received, and3. the extent to which a person is capable

of integrating the information and 4. transmitting further information to the

social structures, which5. are expected to provide appropriate

feedback

The "world of information" is crucial in the five-stage model underpinning the

SOC theory

• how people cope with information affects their health and makes them move towards either health or sickness

• if these information based definitions of the SOC are interpreted in an information science context, one could say that a person equipped with a strong SOC must also be able to master information

Antonovsky 1989:

"We people are perpetually bombarded by

information, we are exposed to stressors

that demand a new way of thinking and new

conclusions. How we deal with information

affects our health, make us move towards

either health or sickness"

Information Literacy

• the term "information literacy" was coined in the mid-seventies (Paul Zurkowski 1974)

- technique- and task-oriented definition

- the setting was the work-place

Definition of Information Literacy:

• ... "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (American Library Association 1989)

• this definition also forms the basis for health information literacy (Medical Library Association 2003) and for people's life-long learning

• it has even been stated that health information literacy is the most important predictor of an individual's health status (DeBuono 2006)

• the ability to read, understand and act on health information are crucial for one's health status (DeBuono 2006, Rudd, Kirsch & Yamamoto 2004)

Illiteracy has been called:

• "the silent epidemic" (Marcus 2006)

and

• "a hidden epidemic" (DeBuono 2006)

Why Information Mastering?

• Information Literacy research has pre-dominantly been done in educational and work-place settings

• blurry understanding; information literacy is variously understood as

- a process

- a skill

- a competence

• to understand information literacy in a socio-cultural setting of everyday life, a more holistic approach is needed

• in everyday life environments with their multiple and complex sources of information the term information mastering is more accurate

• information mastering could be defined as a meta-literacy, i.e., a set of literacies which enable new skills and knowledge in a variety of contexts

• thus, information mastering can be seen as a generic term of various understandings of information literacy

Conclusions• the sociological theory around the sense of

coherence is closely related to the information "meta-literacy", i.e. mastering, conception in the field of information science → → →- SOC could be an effective tool in the investigation of information mastering

• SOC offers an obvious advantage in regards to other theories in this area of research, because the sense of coherence scale is a formula, which makes it possible to empirically test the strength or quality of the ability to manage and process information