OBJECTIVES: To identify factors impacting consumers’ expected likelihood and extent of information search behaviors for a medical condition and a pharmaceutical treatment. METHODS: A telephone interview was administered to a random-digit-dialed sample of 2186 adult consumers in a southern U.S. state.  Measurements included expected likelihood of information search for a medical condition and a pharmaceutical treatment (yes/no), expected extent of such behaviors if the answer is a yes (5-point scale), types of medical condition, types of pharmaceutical treatment, types of information sources, frequency of past information search, self-rated health (4-point scale), extraversion (5-point scale), and demographics.  Two logistic regressions were conducted, in which the dependent variables were the expected likelihood for a medical condition and a pharmaceutical treatment, respectively; and independent variables were health, extraversion, and demographics.  Two OLS regressions were also conducted, in which the dependent variables were the expected extent for a medical condition and a pharmaceutical treatment, respectively; and the independent variables were types of medical condition or pharmaceutical treatment, types of information sources, frequency of past information search, health, extraversion, gender, and metropolitan statistical area. RESULTS: A total of 505 consumers yielded complete interviews, with a cooperation rate of 37.4%.  On average, they were 57 years old, and 61% of them were female.  Twenty percent of them had expectations of seeking information for a medical condition, and 14% for a pharmaceutical treatment.  All regressions were significant (p<0.01).  Health and gender were significant predictors for expected likelihood, and health and extraversion were significant predictors for expected extent (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As perceived health status worsened, consumers were not only more likely to search for information, but also to a larger degree.  Women were more likely to search for information, and those who were outgoing tended to perform information search to a larger degree.