Abstract
Susceptibility to social influence (SSI) has been reported as a key factor for social influence in online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In four online studies, we show that the personality trait of SSI, namely the susceptibility to normative influence (SNI), predicts the extent to which Facebook users comply with the behavior of others on Facebook (e.g., buying, voting, or visiting what other OSN users post). In Studies 1a and 1b, we find that SSI correlates with diverse OSN behaviors, which are the typical results of being affected by social influence. In Study 1b, we find that the perceived importance of the topic of OSN behaviors (e.g., fashion or politics) moderates the effect of SNI on OSN behavior, with a higher importance resulting in a stronger effect of SNI on OSN behavior. In Studies 2 and 3, we find that SNI predicts the extent Facebook users hypothetically “like” diverse topics on Facebook. We also find partial support for the idea that there are interactions between SNI and the Big Five personality traits (i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) on OSN behavior. Specifically, the extent to which the Big Five personality traits of openness, agreeableness, and neuroticism predict OSN behavior depends on Facebook users’ SNI. Our studies contribute to research on the personality-based prediction of OSN behavior and help in better understanding the dynamics of social influence in OSNs, underlining the vulnerability of susceptible OSN users.
Highlights
Social influence drives mass persuasion in online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
In Studies 1a and 1b, we find that susceptibility to social influence (SSI) correlates with diverse OSN behaviors, which are the typical results of being affected by social influence
The current research finds that the personality trait of SSI, namely the susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) facet—one’s tendency to conform to social norms to obtain approval from others—predicts behavior in OSNs such as Facebook
Summary
Social influence drives mass persuasion in online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Campaigners leverage social influence in OSNs to encourage people to share information [1], to adopt healthy behaviors [2], to vote for a specific politician [3], or to buy a new product [4]. Social influence in the context of OSNs can be understood as the spread of a change in OSN users’ attitudes, intentions, communication, and behaviors that are the result of the activities of others in OSNs. One key factor for effective social influence in OSNs is users’ susceptibility to social influence (SSI) [5]. SSI can be understood as one’s tendency to change attitudes, intentions, communication, and behavior in response to others’ activities in OSNs. The traditional social influence literature implies that the personality trait of SSI has three facets: first is susceptibility
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