Exploring the influence of perceived message attractiveness and quality on belief in fake news during COVID-19
Keywords:
belief in fake news, information overload, perceived uncertainty, heuristic processing, systematic processing.Abstract
During COVID-19, fake news on social media seriously threatened society. As a solution to this problem, this study examined how message factors influence people deeply harmed by fake news. Based on the Theory of Heuristic and Systematic Information Process, this study investigated the impact of perceived message attractiveness and quality on belief in fake news through the mediating roles of heuristic processing and systematic processing. This study utilised convenience sampling and surveyed 421 social media users in China. The data were analysed using least partial squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that perceived message attractiveness and quality positively influence heuristic and systematic processing and belief in fake news. This study provides theoretical and empirical contributions to reducing people’s belief in fake news.
