Why people spread rumors on social media: developing and validating a multi-attribute model of online rumor dissemination
ISSN: 1468-4527
Article publication date: 30 April 2021
Issue publication date: 19 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Dealing with online rumors or fake information on social media is growing in importance. Most academic research on online rumors has approached the issue from a quantitative modeling perspective. Less attention has been paid to the psychological mechanisms accounting for online rumor transmission behavior on the individual level. Drawing from the theory of stimulus–organism–response, this study aims to explore the nature of online rumors and investigate how the informational characteristics of online rumors are processed through the mediation of psychological variables to promote online rumor forwarding.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental approach to this issue was taken; the researchers investigated how the informational characteristics of online rumors and the psychological mediators promote online rumor transmission.
Findings
Four information characteristics (sense-making, funniness, dreadfulness and personal relevance) and three psychological motivators (fact-finding, relationship enhancement and self-enhancement) promote online rumor-forwarding behavior.
Originality/value
Because any online rumor transmitted on social media can go viral, companies may eventually encounter social media-driven crises. Thus, understanding what drives rumor-forwarding behavior can help marketers mitigate and counter online rumors.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This work was supported by the Shantou University STU Scientific Research Initiation Grant [STF20010] and by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation Grant [2021A1515012259].
The authors would like to thank anonymous referees of this journal for their constructive comments, and the Editor for her support and encouragement.
Citation
Shen, Y.-C., Lee, C.T., Pan, L.-Y. and Lee, C.-Y. (2021), "Why people spread rumors on social media: developing and validating a multi-attribute model of online rumor dissemination", Online Information Review, Vol. 45 No. 7, pp. 1227-1246. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0374
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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