Trust of Information on Social Media: An Elaboration Likelihood Model

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook are increasingly being used as a source of information in critical situations such as natural disasters and civil unrests. However, false information exists on social media and trusting false information not only leads users to make wrong decisions but can also have dire impact on the society. This research-in-progress examines how individuals process information on social media to determine whether or not to trust the information. Based on the elaboration likelihood model, a research model elucidating the effects of information quality, source credibility, and majority influence on users’ trust of information on social media is proposed. Further, the moderating effects of personal involvement and users’ prior knowledge are investigated. Results from a pilot survey indicate that majority influence has a stronger effect on trust than source credibility for social media users and they are likely to rely on information quality as well as source credibility and majority influence when their personal involvement is high.