Informational behaviour in Facebook focused on Brazilian popular music (BPM)

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the information behaviour of Facebook users that follow a fan page focused on Brazilian Popular Music (BPM). The conceptual framework used was Wilson revisited model for information behaviour. Qualitative research was conducted in two steps. i) First, a netnography of users on the page “com açucar, com afeto” in Facebook was conducted to find patterns of collective behaviour, and specific actions and ii) an interview with 32 users was performed to collect data about their perception. The netnography revealed collective behaviours when observing shares, likes, and comments, it helped to discover in which posts, authors or even content is more popular and how the users react to each post. The users of Facebook page “Com açucar, com afeto” fill the emotional and cognitive needs of its visitors; initially, users look to the page due the interest in BPM, but the use of the page evolves to fill emotional and cognitive needs to share experience based on feelings and emotions brought by music. Three intervening variables appear as the most significant in the information behaviour of users: i) Psychological, ii) Social and interpersonal role and iii) the environment itself.