client/audience
AImpower
timeframe
Aug 2023 - Dec 2023
role
UX Designer
Project Manager
Tab Management Preferences and Techniques Among College Students:
Implications for Technology Design
a research examining tab management strategies among college students, revealing diverse usage patterns and emotional dimensions
Abstract
Tabbed browsing prompts a critical examination of tab management strategies for enhanced efficiency, especially for college students whose academic and professional tasks actively demand effective digital organization. This study delves into the tab management practices of this demographic, seeking to uncover insights that could inform the design of future tab management technologies. A questionnaire was administered to explore the students' methods, preferences, and viewpoints on managing web browser tabs. Our analysis uncovers diverse patterns in tab usage and management methodologies, notably in the number of tabs maintained and the frequency of tab overload experiences. One significant finding is the association between a high number of open tabs and the experience of negative emotions, such as anxiety and overwhelm, suggesting an emotional dimension to tab management. This study also reveals that the usage of tab management tools does not always correlate with higher satisfaction; some participants reported dissatisfaction despite using these tools. This highlights the complexity of tab management behaviors and the need for more nuanced, user-centric technological solutions.
Introduction
Why do some people open an almost endless number of browser tabs, while others are more satisfied when only keeping a few open at a time? Previous research has demonstrated that large individual differences exist in browser tab use (Chang et al. 2021a; Huang & White, 2010; Kim & Lee, 2023). Tabbed-browsing has become the ubiquitous way to access the web in the past decade and more than half of us struggle with unwieldy web tabs, characterized as “tab hoarding” or “web tab overload” (Chang et al. 2021a). As terminology is inconsistent across studies, here we define “tab gathering” as the behavior of keeping many tabs open simultaneously. In a 2010 study, which is around the time when tabbed web browsing became common, Huang and White found that tab gathering promotes multitasking, in contrast to linear browsing where users navigate to a series of websites on the same web-tab. In addition, they found that tab branching, where web users open multiple tabs from the same search engine query, was more common for informational queries than for navigational queries, and that branching behavior differed significantly between people as the majority never exhibited branching behavior from search engine queries, while a small minority (~ 7%) branched off from the query tab on over half of their clicks. A more recent study on web browsing patterns found that multitasking web users who switch between tabs more often visit a higher number of websites and have more open tabs (Crichton, Christin, & Cranor. 2021).
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While some people tend to open and close tabs in the same session and preserve a cleaner browser environment without excessive numbers of open tabs, others hoard tabs and struggle with deciding when to close them. Chang et al. (2021a) found in their study that over half of the participants reported keeping browser tabs that should’ve been closed, and 30% agreed that they have a tab hoarding problem. Further, 59% of the participants reported feeling that they can’t close their tabs, and 19% of the participants reported that laziness contributed to leaving extra tabs open, suggesting that tab hoarding serves some necessary informational or organizational purpose. Despite the described usefulness of tabbed browsing, navigating the pressures to open and close browser tabs led to negative feelings of stress, overwhelm and even shame in the participants.
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Research looking into this phenomenon characterized the various forces that may prompt us to open or close a web tab and the types of tabbed browsing behaviors. However, no one has yet looked into the cognitive traits that might underlie differences in tabbed browsing behavior. Understanding these cognitive processes could help us better understand how the digital and technological environment affects our cognition, which can ultimately allow us to build and improve web browsing tools that work in harmony with our natural cognitive inclinations and support us in our tasks.
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Some lines of research have also developed tools for reducing tab overload, mainly through organizing tabs by topic (Kuznetsov et al., 2022; Chang et al., 2021b). Other tab management tools perform diverse functions such as recommending content based on the currently open tabs (Jo, Kim & Lee, 2023), or showing participants feedback in the form of analytics of their browser tab use (Ma, et al. 2023). However, none of these tools have yet caught on in a way that solves the issue of browser tab overload, suggesting that organizing tabs by topic does not solve the issue entirely.
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Given that existing tools haven't been universally adopted or deemed entirely effective, our study aims to identify specific design considerations tailored to the needs of college students. We seek to determine the underlying factors that influence the strategies employed and preferences of individuals when navigating tabbed browsing, which should allow us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the techniques utilized and the considerations that guide these behaviors. We also explore the awareness and interest levels regarding alternative management methods, such as browser extensions and split-screen functionality, aiming to discern the readiness of college students to embrace novel technologies that enhance their web browsing experience. By understanding the unique challenges and preferences of browser tab management tools and behaviors among college students, we can recommend more targeted suggestions, potentially leading to the development of more effective tabs management solutions. As such, we hypothesize that students that report more tabs open on average will 1) experience tab overload more often, 2) experience more negative emotions about tabs and be 3) (a) less likely to use and (b) less satisfied with tab management techniques.
Methods
Design and Material
Participants respond to a survey (Appendix A) that investigates various dimensions of web browser tab management and probes participants' web browser tab management practices, perceptions, and emotional responses. Questions cover browser usage, tab management habits, techniques, and participants' interest in emerging technologies.
Measures
In examining participants' interactions with web browser tabs, several key measures were implemented. Participants were first prompted to identify their primary web browser of choice and articulate the rationale behind their selection (Questions 1 to 2). The survey then delved into participants' tab management habits, which covers the number of tabs actively open, decisions to retain tabs, factors influencing those decisions, and emotional responses tied to the amount of tabs opened (Questions 3 to 3.5). Additionally, participants were encouraged to reflect on instances of tab overload, detailing the frequency of such occurrences as well as their corresponding emotional responses (Questions 3.5.1 to 3.5.4). The study also scrutinized participants' tab management techniques, which involves inquiries into their current methods, the associated satisfaction levels, and the reasons underpinning their satisfaction/dissatisfaction (Questions 3.5.5 to 3.6.2). Participants who abstained from utilizing any tab management methods were probed regarding the rationale behind this choice (Question 3.6.3). Furthermore, the survey gauged participants' awareness, utilization, and interest in various existing tab grouping/organization functions provided by different browsers, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of their familiarity with these features (Questions 3.7 to 3.8). Collectively, these questions were designed to offer a multifaceted understanding of participants' browser usage, tab management habits, and techniques. This provides nuanced insights into user experiences and preferences that contribute valuable information to the study's overarching goals.
Participants
The study included 114 participants recruited from the SONA system; upon survey completion, participants received 1 SONA course credits specific to the Information Science/Communication department. To be eligible, participants had to be 18 years of age and a Cornell student.
Equipment and Procedure
This study was conducted through an online survey hosted on Qualtrics. Participants accessed the survey link through the SONA system, where they received a brief overview of the research objectives and the significance of their input in understanding tab management practices. The survey's total completion time was about 13 minutes. Participants were informed about the study's objectives, procedures, and their voluntary participation at the survey's outset. Clear information, including the identity and affiliation of the researchers, was provided, and participants could discontinue their participation at any time.
Results
We first analyzed how the number of tabs open varies according to the experience and frequency of tab overload (H1). Figure 1 shows these results.
Figure 1. Left: The average number of tabs open (x axis) according to those who experience tab overload (y axis). Right: The average number of tabs open (x axis) according to the number of times a week tab overload is experienced (y axis).
We first measured how the number of tabs open correlates with whether individuals report ever experiencing tab overload (Figure 1 left). We find that individuals who report every experiencing tab overload have a lower number of tabs open (Mean = 14.27, Standard Deviation = 14.39), compared to individuals who have not experienced tab overload (Mean = 19.95, Standard Deviation = 21.79). This result was nearly significant according to a t-test (t = -1.84, p = 0.067). We then tested how the number of tabs open relates to the frequency of tab overload. We find that individuals who keep more tabs open on average are prone to experiencing tab overload more frequently than those who have fewer tabs open (Figure 1 right). A one-way ANOVA shows that this result is nearly significant (f = 2.315, p = 0.062). The means and standard deviation of the number of web tabs currently open according to how often participants report experiencing tab overload are in Table 1.
We then measured how the number of tabs correlates with experiences of negative emotions (H2). These results are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. The mean and standard deviation of the number of web tabs open according to how much they report experiencing six different emotions. From left to right and top to bottom the emotions are: anxious, distracted, in control, overwhelmed, exhausted and manageable.
Participants conveyed a spectrum of emotions in response to managing multiple open tabs simultaneously. Specifically, the results show that individuals who have a higher average number of open tabs tend to experience heightened feelings of anxiety (f = 2.65, p = 0.02), distraction (f = 2.58, p = 0.02) and overwhelm (f = 4.913, p = .001). The trend regarding whether an individual feels more in control when having more or fewer tabs open is less clear as participants also had differing numbers of tabs open according to their sense of feeling in control (f = 2.26, p = 0.04). There also weren’t significant effects for exhaustion and manageability (f = 1.84, p = 0.09). Statistics reported are one-way ANOVA. The means and standard deviations are included in the figures.
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These results are further validated qualitatively. For example, Participant 36 commented that “... if one envisions an open tab as an active task that is pending (like [the participant] does), then having a lot means there is a lot of work still ongoing that requires the persons' attention which ... feels utterly overwhelming.” Another negative sentiment is reported by Participant 6 who mentioned that “seeing the tab itself helps [one] feel in control. If tabs were in folders [organized by tab management], it would defeat the purpose of keeping the tabs around.”
Finally, we examine whether participants with more tabs open are (a) less likely to use and (b) less satisfied with tab management techniques (H3). This is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Top. average number of tabs open according to whether participants report using tab management techniques. Bottom. Average number of tabs open according to how satisfied participants are with the tab management techniques available to them.
Our results demonstrate a trend (Figure 3 top) that individuals who use tab management tools have a lower number of tabs open (Mean = 19.95, Standard Deviation = 21.79) compared to individuals who do not use such tools (Mean = 14.28, Standard Deviation = 14.39). However, this is not significant (t = 0.349, p = 0.726) according to a t test. Individuals who have a higher average number of open tabs tend to feel dissatisfied about their current tab management method compared to those who keep fewer tabs open. A one-way ANOVA showed this result to be significant (f = 3.860, p = 0.006).
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Qualitatively, we find that many participants report that while they do like the functions of tab management features, they still prefer seeing their tabs and knowing where things are. For example, Participant 95 expressed the importance to “know where everything is”, and Participant 110 found themselves “... satisfied with the groupings, but sometimes [they] forget what [they] have open if [they] don't see the physical tab on the screen.” Other participants, like Participant 117, commented that tab management techniques are often not “too effective, only every now and then”.
Table 1. Number of web tabs currently open according to how often participants report experiencing tab overload.
Discussion
Our study builds upon the findings of Chang et al. (2021a), who identified the prevalence of tab hoarding and the associated negative emotions of stress and overwhelm. Consistent with their findings, we also observed that tab overload leads to negative emotions, reinforcing the notion that tab management is not merely a practical concern but an emotional one. Moreover, our study extends the understanding of tab hoarding by demonstrating that it is the individuals with a lower number of open tabs who report feelings of tab overload. This suggests that the psychological tolerance for digital clutter is highly individualized as participants who kept more tabs seem to have a higher threshold for what they consider to be tab overload and they appeared to be more accustomed to managing numerous tabs, possibly due to a higher capacity for digital multitasking.
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While Chang et al. (2021b) and Jo et al. (2023) discussed the development and benefits of task-centric tab management and semantic recommendation tools, our study provides empirical evidence regarding the actual user satisfaction with such tools among college students. We found that despite the availability of these technologies, satisfaction levels are not universally high, indicating a potential misalignment between tool capabilities and user needs.
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Crichton et al. (2021) and Huang & White (2010) provided insights into the increased adoption of parallel browsing and tab management's role in multitasking. Our study adds to this discussion by suggesting that the number of tabs open is a function of users' multitasking habits and their individual propensity for parallel processing of information.
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This study contributes to the field by highlighting the nuances of tab management strategies and their psychological implications. By identifying the correlation between tab numbers and emotional responses, our study adds depth to the understanding of user behaviour in digital environments. The results challenge the conventional wisdom that more tabs necessarily lead to greater disorganization and stress, suggesting that tab management tools need to be personalized.
Discussion
Our study builds upon the findings of Chang et al. (2021a), who identified the prevalence of tab hoarding and the associated negative emotions of stress and overwhelm. Consistent with their findings, we also observed that tab overload leads to negative emotions, reinforcing the notion that tab management is not merely a practical concern but an emotional one. Moreover, our study extends the understanding of tab hoarding by demonstrating that it is the individuals with a lower number of open tabs who report feelings of tab overload. This suggests that the psychological tolerance for digital clutter is highly individualized as participants who kept more tabs seem to have a higher threshold for what they consider to be tab overload and they appeared to be more accustomed to managing numerous tabs, possibly due to a higher capacity for digital multitasking.
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While Chang et al. (2021b) and Jo et al. (2023) discussed the development and benefits of task-centric tab management and semantic recommendation tools, our study provides empirical evidence regarding the actual user satisfaction with such tools among college students. We found that despite the availability of these technologies, satisfaction levels are not universally high, indicating a potential misalignment between tool capabilities and user needs.
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Crichton et al. (2021) and Huang & White (2010) provided insights into the increased adoption of parallel browsing and tab management's role in multitasking. Our study adds to this discussion by suggesting that the number of tabs open is a function of users' multitasking habits and their individual propensity for parallel processing of information.
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This study contributes to the field by highlighting the nuances of tab management strategies and their psychological implications. By identifying the correlation between tab numbers and emotional responses, our study adds depth to the understanding of user behaviour in digital environments. The results challenge the conventional wisdom that more tabs necessarily lead to greater disorganization and stress, suggesting that tab management tools need to be personalized.
Hypothesis 1
The relationship between the number of tabs open and the experience of tab overload, as explored in our study, reveals a complex and somewhat counterintuitive dynamic. While it might be expected that those experiencing tab overload would have a larger number of tabs open, our findings suggest the opposite, although this was a nearly significant result. Individuals who report experiencing tab overload actually manage fewer tabs on average than those who do not experience tab overload. Further analysis with nearly significant support suggests that among those individuals who experience tab overload, there are often more open tabs than those who experience it less often; however, those who never experienced tab overload have an intermediate number of tabs open on average. Taken together, these results could mean that for some users, many open tabs do not necessarily equate to a sense of overload, while for others, even a relatively small number of tabs can be overwhelming. This result builds on the analysis of tab overload as described in Chang et al (2021a), by providing the finding that the feeling of tab overload does not always directly correspond to the number of tabs open.
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This finding has significant implications for the design of tab management tools. It suggests that such tools need to be adaptable to diverse user needs, catering not only to those who manage many tabs but also to those who feel overwhelmed with fewer tabs. This insight underscores the importance of personalization in technology design, where user interfaces and functionalities can be tailored to individual preferences and tolerance levels.
Hypothesis 2
Our study also explored the relationship between the number of tabs opened and found support for increased negative emotions of anxiety, distraction, and overwhelm, and lower feelings of control when more tabs are open. The results indicate a clear trend where individuals with a higher average number of open tabs tend to experience more intense negative emotions. This finding provides quantitative evidence for the qualitative finding in Chang et al. (2021a), showing that difficulty in managing tabs corresponds to negative emotions and further underscores the psychological impact of digital environments on users. The significant correlation, particularly with feelings of overwhelm, suggests that digital clutter in the form of multiple open tabs can exacerbate stress and affect mental well-being. Design considerations, therefore, should not only focus on the functional aspect of tab management but also take into account the emotional well-being of the users. Tools that help in decluttering digital workspace, such as automatic tab grouping or smart alerts for unused tabs, could potentially alleviate the emotional burden associated with tab management.
Hypothesis 3
The third hypothesis examined the likelihood of users with more tabs open to use and be satisfied with tab management techniques. Our findings indicate a significant trend where users with more tabs open tend to be less satisfied with existing tab management methods. This suggests a gap between the needs of users who frequently manage numerous tabs and the current capabilities of tab management tools. Users may be seeking more advanced or intuitive features that current tools do not provide, such as smarter categorization, easier navigation, or more visually appealing interfaces. Addressing this gap in user satisfaction could involve developing more sophisticated and user-friendly tab management solutions, perhaps incorporating AI-driven categorization or predictive closing of tabs based on user behavior patterns. This finding suggests the need for newer designs for tab management such as that presented in Kuznetsov et al., (2022) and Ma et al. (2023) to be more heavily marketed or integrated into the browser in addition to simple color-coding methods currently included in the browser, which we find do not work sufficiently well for all users.
Future Design Directions
Our data suggest specific user-centric design changes to address tab management challenges. Participant 2 suggested highlighting duplicate tabs, which could mitigate the issue of redundant information clutter. Participant 114โs preference for streamlined navigation in tab management reflects a need for efficient and intuitive user interfaces. As they expressed, "in tab management, navigation between tab groups should be as minimal and convenient as possible. Opening an additional sidebar or an extra click already makes [them] disinclined to use tab management techniques." These insights emphasize the importance of designing tab management tools with a focus on simplicity to minimize cognitive load which will encourage user adoption and satisfaction.
Future Directions
Future research should aim to expand the participant pool to encompass different age groups, professions, and technological backgrounds for a more comprehensive understanding of tab management practices, thereby yielding more inclusive insights that are representative of a broader demographic spectrum. Furthermore, a valuable direction for future research is to implement more objective data collection methods, such as real-time tracking of tab management behavior, as these approaches can offer more precise and reliable insights while enhancing the depth of our understanding of individualsโ tab management behavior, moving beyond the limitations of self-reported data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the tab management preferences and practices among college students. While, in general, the number of tabs open positively correlates with tab overload, there exists a group of individuals who do not experience tab overload and yet keeps a relatively higher number of open tabs. Moreover, a high number of open tabs is associated with feelings of overwhelm and other negative emotions, along with dissatisfaction with current tab management tools.
Limitations
To properly contextualize our findings, it's crucial to acknowledge the study's limitations. The predominantly college student sample may limit generalizability as insights into their tab management habits potentially do not reflect behaviors of other user groups. Moreover, the reliance on self-reported data introduces biases as participants' perceptions and memories may not accurately reflect their tab management practices.