There's actually psychology behind people asking questions when they already know they can get the answer themselves without asking. I recalled this for "confirmation bias" from my studies, but I knew there was more to it than just that, so I had to refresh my memory with ChatGPT.
1. Seeking Connection or Validation
Even if they know how to find the answer, asking you specifically can be a way to connect, get reassurance, or just feel heard. It's like saying, “I trust your perspective.”
2. Cognitive Offloading
This is when people use others as a way to save mental effort. If the answer is within reach but it would take effort or time to find, asking someone else becomes an easier path. It's efficient (lazy, sometimes—but efficient).
3. Confirmation Bias Check
Sometimes, they already have the answer but want to make sure it’s correct. Asking reinforces or challenges what they already believe.
4. Social Bonding or Hierarchy
People might ask someone they respect or view as knowledgeable, even if they don’t need the help. It can reinforce the other's status or signal deference.
5. Attention-Seeking or Indirect Communication
The question might not really be about the answer—it might be about getting attention, starting a conversation, or nudging a topic indirectly.
6. Anxiety or Overthinking
Sometimes, people know how to find the answer but worry about making the wrong choice. Asking someone else helps them feel more confident.
Community building leans pretty heavily on #1, #4, #5, and #6. You could argue that #3 fits too, as they are seeking a community of like-minded individuals as well.
Many, if not all, group people asking questions that they more likely than not already know how to get the answer to into group #2, or being lazy. Quite often, it's a case of finding meaningful connections, than being lazy, as we are inherently social human beings. So, being dismissive can only hurt in the long run, no matter how annoying it might be.
A tip would be to give the short answer to their question, and if you have XFES (XenForo Enhanced Search), point to the existing similar threads that answer the question in full detail below the thread they created.
But telling them to search, I would say, hurts more than it helps.
I would argue that this is off-putting for new users. I'd like to see an A/B test done where 2 different forums are shown (exact same content) and see which one they would stick around on to not only find the answer but become a contributing member, because without that conversion, your forum will eventually stagnate. Growth is already slow for forums, so putting this "stop sign" up in the first place might do more harm than good. If no A/B test could be done, I would leave the original text up for 2 months and then change it for 2 months to compare the activity levels (as an A/B test study is costly).
