Exploring the Acceptance of Rumor Rebuttals: The Mediating Influence of Utilitarian and Hedonic Values

Anjan Pal, Alton Y.K. Chua, Dion Hoe Lian Goh

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

This research examines the mediating roles of perceived utilitarian and hedonic values in the relations between users' perceptions of rebuttals and their decisions to accept the debunking messages in combatting online rumors. For the purpose of this investigation, four mediation models, each comprised of two hypotheses, were proposed and tested with data collected from 305 participants. Parallel mediation analysis was performed on each model to test the proposed hypotheses. Results show that users' perceptions of rebuttals were significantly associated with their decisions to accept the debunking messages in combatting online rumors. While both perceived utilitarian and hedonic values mediated the relations between users' perceptions of rebuttals and their decisionmaking, the mediating role of the former was stronger than the latter. This research offers insights into the underlying process of how both values impact users' decisions to accept rebuttals as the truth. It helps practitioners understand how users perceive and process rebuttals when dealing with online rumors.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2024 18th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, IMCOM 2024
EditorsSukhan Lee, Hyunseung Choo, Roslan Ismail
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Number of pages7
ISBN (Electronic)9798350331011
ISBN (Print)9798350331028
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Feb 2024
Event18th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, IMCOM 2024 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Duration: 3 Jan 20245 Jan 2024

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 2024 18th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, IMCOM 2024

Conference

Conference18th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, IMCOM 2024
Country/TerritoryMalaysia
CityKuala Lumpur
Period3/01/245/01/24

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 IEEE.

Keywords

  • hedonic value
  • online rumor
  • online rumor rebuttal
  • social media
  • stimulusorganism-response model
  • utilitarian value

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