Searching the web on debated topics, which are issues under active discussion and where individual opinions diverge, can be highly challenging. It requires users to approach their queries objectively, browse many resources, and accept a certain level of uncertainty, even if it conflicts with personal values. In particular, confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information that reinforces beliefs or attitudes, impacts how people gather and interpret information retrieved from search engines when searching on debated topics. It can have far-reaching effects, potentially leading to conflicts, extremism, and polarization.

In an innovative approach towards mitigating the negative effects of confirmation bias on web search on debated topics, we propose implementing a boosting intervention aimed at enhancing Intellectual Humility (IH) – an individual’s ability to acknowledge the fallibility of one’s own beliefs and the limits of one’s knowledge while remaining open to learning from others’ perspectives even if they differ from their own viewpoint. While previous research has highlighted the potential benefits of boosting IH as a means to mitigate confirmation bias, its impact on users’ search behavior has yet to be explored.

Our work bridges this gap through two randomized preregistered user studies, gaining valuable insights into the effectiveness of IH-boosting interventions in mitigating confirmation bias. In the first study, we assessed the effect of three boosting interventions with different levels of complexity on users’ context dependent IH. In the second study, we examined the effects of these interventions on web search behavior.

The first experiment successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the interventions in boosting participants’ IH across all three treatment groups. However, applying these interventions to web search, no significant differences in search behavior were observed. Our exploratory findings reveal that both individual and environmental factors, including occupation, personal viewpoints, and search results order, shape the impact of IH-boosting interventions on online search behavior, with varying effects observed across different debated topics. We hope this study inspires, and is an initial basis for continued efforts to explore the multifaceted relationship between IH, information-seeking behavior, and responsible opinion formation, ultimately promoting a more informed and unbiased online discourse.

Scenwise has developed the ScenarioDesigner to support road authorities in creating response plans. The response plans describe which actions the operator should take in order to manage different traffic situations such as accidents, large scale events This thesis elaborates on the process as well as the end-product created during the Bachelor End Project The BEP is a 10 week compulsory project to complete the Computer Science and Engineering program of the Delft University of Technology. It was conducted between 11 November 2019 and 11 February 2020. During the first two weeks the group focused on researching the problem, the possible solutions and traffic management in general. The subsequent 8 weeks were designated to the development of the product. The product was developed for ScenWise, a company that focuses on innovation within traffic management. In addition to evaluating the product, this thesis gives recommendations for a following group working on extending the product.
Finally, the group would like to thank the client ScenWise, specifically K.F. Chan for providing the project as well as teaching us about the domain knowledge of the client. Furthermore, the group wants to thank Dr. A. Katsifodimos for the coaching throughout the project as well as Ir. O.W. Visser for giving the opportunity to do the BEP in the second quarter of the academic year.