College - Author 1
College of Liberal Arts
Department - Author 1
Graphic Communication Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Graphic Communication
Date
6-2025
Primary Advisor
Hocheol Yang, College of Liberal Arts, Graphic Communication Department
Abstract/Summary
This paper discusses the results of a research study investigating Cal Poly students’ mental models regarding the Sexual and Reproductive Health Lab’s (SRH Lab) website. Mental models are beliefs that the user has about a website and how it functions, which affects how users interact with the website (Chan 2024). By tailoring its website to students’ mental models through appropriate nomenclature, the SRH Lab will be able to better engage and disseminate information to students.
52 students participated in a card sorting study, in which they were asked to intuitively sort cards labeled with SRH Lab website labels into different categories. Results demonstrate that regardless of gender, participants consistently sorted cards into four general categories: information about the SRH Lab, outreach, student involvement, and the SRH Lab’s work. The cards that were most challenging for participants to sort were ambiguous or overlapped multiple categories.
As the first of its kind, this research on the SRH Lab’s website provides insight into students’ current understandings and challenges, which will help guide the lab in making decisions about future changes to implement and/or research to conduct.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/grcsp/315