Chinese Users Research Articles

Unraveling the Cross-Cultural Differences in Online Expression of Social Anxiety in Online Support Communities.

Individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD) are increasingly turning to online support communities for self-disclosure and social support. Despite the extensive body of research on online mental health discourses, the cultural nuances within SAD-related discussions remain underexplored. In this study, we examine the cultural differences in online expression of social anxiety by analyzing individuals' self-disclosure and support-seeking behaviors in social media posts. Using two-week data (n = 1,681) from two SAD support communities on the Reddit and Douban groups, we used both qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative semantic analysis to discern prevalent themes and linguistic attributes characterizing these online expressions. Our findings not only uncover common themes such as sharing personal experiences and seeking mutual validations in both communities but also identify their divergences, as Western users primarily sought advice and information in posts, whereas Chinese users were more inclined toward networking. Cultural variations in language use were evident, particularly in individuals' affect and their expression of personal and social concerns. Western users were more likely to convey negative emotions and delve into personal matters related to SAD, whereas Chinese users tended to grapple more with workplace anxieties. This study contributes to the cultural understanding of online mental health discourses and offers insights for crafting culturally sensitive interventions and supports for people with SAD.

Social Recommendation Framework: A Case Study of Chinese Long-Stayers in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai (CNX), a popular city in northern Thailand, has attracted an increasing number of Chinese visitors to stay for a long term for diverse purposes, which facilitates local economic and cultural development. As social networks (SNs) are widely used to disseminate information and accelerate problem-solving, social recommendations (SRs) can be generated correspondingly to address the diverse and dynamic long-term residential demands of Chinese users in a multicultural context. This research aims to develop an SN-based recommendation framework for Chinese long-stayers in CNX to address the social recommendation problems for target long-stay users in a cross-cultural context. This paper employed a mixed-method research design based on the knowledge management processes to acquire, store, share and apply knowledge needed for SN analysis. The results showed that the proposed framework effectively provides filtering and efficient SRs that enable Chinese users to make decisions and formulate strategies during their long-term residence in CNX. The preliminary work also illustrates the positive impact of individual demographic and SN characteristics on the performance of SRs that researchers and practitioners need to develop innovative business and management strategies regarding Chinese long-stayers in a cross-cultural context. Further studies are required to identify additional factors to enhance the effectiveness and utility of SRs for Chinese long-term residents in a cross-cultural environment.

SNP-based and haplotype-based genome-wide association on drug dependence in Han Chinese

BackgroundDrug addiction is a serious problem worldwide and is influenced by genetic factors. The present study aimed to investigate the association between genetics and drug addiction among Han Chinese.MethodsA total of 1000 Chinese users of illicit drugs and 9693 healthy controls were enrolled and underwent single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based and haplotype-based association analyses via whole-genome genotyping.ResultsBoth single-SNP and haplotype tests revealed associations between illicit drug use and several immune-related genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (SNP association: log10BF = 15.135, p = 1.054e-18; haplotype association: log10BF = 20.925, p = 2.065e-24). These genes may affect the risk of drug addiction via modulation of the neuroimmune system. The single-SNP test exclusively reported genome-wide significant associations between rs3782886 (SNP association: log10BF = 8.726, p = 4.842e-11) in BRAP and rs671 (SNP association: log10BF = 7.406, p = 9.333e-10) in ALDH2 and drug addiction. The haplotype test exclusively reported a genome-wide significant association (haplotype association: log10BF = 7.607, p = 3.342e-11) between a region with allelic heterogeneity on chromosome 22 and drug addiction, which may be involved in the pathway of vitamin B12 transport and metabolism, indicating a causal link between lower vitamin B12 levels and methamphetamine addiction.ConclusionsThese findings provide new insights into risk-modeling and the prevention and treatment of methamphetamine and heroin dependence, which may further contribute to potential novel therapeutic approaches.

The quality of crowdsourcing virtual community and users’ voice behavior: An analysis of stimulus-organism-response framework among Chinese users

The quality of a crowdsourcing virtual community is an essential factor that stimulates users' perceptions of belonging and attachment to the community, thereby influencing their behavior. As a prerequisite for the development of “creative crowdsourcing,” it is particularly important to study how users' voice behavior can be promoted in virtual communities. Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework and the Social Identification Theory, this study developed a conceptual model that investigates the impact of crowdsourcing virtual communities in system, information, interaction, and service quality on users' voice behavior. Furthermore, we introduce community identification and self-disclosure to further analyze the influencing mechanism between these two variables. Data were collected through 672 survey questionnaires from participants in well-known crowdsourcing virtual communities such as Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, Haier Hope, Test Baidu, and Test China. Using hierarchical regression and bootstrap analysis, we found a positive correlation between the quality of the crowdsourcing virtual community and users’ voice behavior, with community identification acting as a mediator. Furthermore, self-disclosure showed a significant moderating effect on the relationship between community identification and voice behavior. These findings significantly contribute to the theoretical landscape by advancing the SOR framework within a virtual community. This not only deepens the understanding of the quality of the crowdsourcing virtual community, but also provides theoretical and practical implications for managers and users on how to promote voice behavior.

Exploring User Adoption of ChatGPT: A Technology Acceptance Model Perspective

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the emergence of Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) marks a pivotal milestone in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, little research has reported the predictors of people’s intentions to use ChatGPT. This pioneering study empirically examines user adoption through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) using a convenience sampling method. The study surveyed 784 ChatGPT users in China, of whom 58.93% were males. The results have revealed several key findings: (1) perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioral intention, and use behavior were positively correlated with each other; (2) behavioral intention acted as a mediating factor in the relationship between perceived usefulness and use behavior, as well as the relationship between perceived ease of use and use behavior; (3) perceived usefulness and behavioral intention played a chain-mediated role between perceived ease of use and use behavior; (4) the relationship between behavioral intention and use behavior exhibited greater strength among females compared to males; (5) the association between behavioral intention and use behavior was found to be stronger among urban users in comparison to their rural counterparts; (6) the connections between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and behavioral intention, and behavioral intention and use behavior were observed to be stronger among individuals with higher educational backgrounds relative to those with lower educational backgrounds. These findings provide crucial nuanced insights to advance the practical application of ChatGPT, emphasizing the need for enhanced usability and ease of use. However, this study exclusively captured usage behaviors within the Chinese user base. Future investigations could encompass diverse demographics across multiple countries, enabling cross-cultural comparisons.

UTAUT2 및 TRI 이론을 기반으로 중국 노인 이용자 디지털 미술관 사용 행동에 연구

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that affect the willingness and behavior of elderly Chinese users to use digital art museums and related new technologies, by combining the UTAUT2 model and the TRI model, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the future development and optimization of digital art museums. The research results demonstrate that higher performance expectations, effort expectations, hedonic motivation, price value, and social influence can positively enhance user willingness to use, ultimately affecting usage behavior. And the facilitating factors can directly and positively affect the user's willingness and behavior to use. On the contrary, higher levels of discomfort and lack of security can have a negative impact on the user's willingness to use, affecting their usage behavior.

Passing on the “whistle”: Users’ creative engagement with platform censorship in an online relay campaign in China

The advances and proliferation of social media technologies have not only empowered Chinese users with more opportunities for opinion expression and public participation, but also provided the censors with increasingly sophisticated means to monitor and control the public discourse. In this game of cat and mouse, Chinese censors and users are intertwined with each other as new forms of censorship and counter-censorship stimulate both sides to further develop tactics to compete with each other. Drawing on (social) media discourse analysis, this study examines the strategies users adopted in an online relay campaign to keep a censored article alive on WeChat Public Accounts. The analysis highlights three major forms of creative strategies including textual reproductions, multi-semiotic and multimodal reproductions, and technically encoded forms. It also underscores platform censorship as a particular level of censorship where the platform takes responsibility for removing sensitive or perceived sensitive posts and content. This study adds to the growing literature that examines creative strategies of censorship engagement and a more nuanced understanding of the multi-layered online censorship mechanism in China.

Leaking my face via payment: Unveiling the influence of technology anxiety, vulnerabilities, and privacy concerns on user resistance to facial recognition payment

As biometric identification techniques for authentication continue to gain prominence, the demand for mobile payment systems employing facial recognition payment (FRP) in diverse business contexts has increased significantly. Leveraging the antecedent-privacy concern-outcome (APCO) model, this study constructs a comprehensive research framework for FRP and subjects it to examination through an online survey involving 1058 Chinese users. The study's results reveal that technology anxiety exhibits significant relationships with technology, provider, legal, and user vulnerabilities. However, it is noteworthy that technology anxiety does not exert an influence on privacy concerns. Conversely, technology, provider, legal and user vulnerabilities are found to be significantly associated with privacy concerns. Furthermore, the research highlights that privacy concerns have a positive association with user resistance to FRP. The current study also provides practical implications for cooperation and governments.

Current management status and spatial utilization characteristics of day‐service‐centers that can provide Chinese language service in Japan

AbstractThis study seeks to clarify nationwide management status and spatial utilization characteristics of day‐service‐centers that can provide Chinese language service in Japan. A comprehensive survey was conducted through mail questionnaires targeting the 115 day‐service‐centers that can provide Chinese language service in Japan, with the objective of explicating their current operational and utilization situations. Additionally, field behavioral observation surveys were carried out in 2 day‐service‐centers, 1 is for Chinese people in Japan or Japanese people from China and the other is for Japanese people. The purpose was to identify the behavioral difference between Chinese users and Japanese users and identify the spatial utilization characteristics in 2 day‐service‐centers.

The Susceptibility of Young Chinese Users of Information Cocoon on the Xiaohongshu Platform

The Xiaohongshu platform is a recently developed powerful online media platform in China. Its primary method of using algorithms to push information encourages the formation of the information cocoon. Based on the similar researches of selective exposure and echo chamber, this study has developed the exposure and acceptance mechanism of information. Using the platform's young Chinese users as a representative, this research aimed to test the users' susceptibility using the new information cocoon susceptibility scale. The scale was divided into six dimensions including information content, information channel, information attitude stability, information intervention, social network, and algorithmic literacy. By recovering and analyzing the questionnaires, this study found that the Chinese young users' susceptibility to the Xiaohongshu platform is generally significant. Specific manifestations may include exposure to information content homogenized, lack of diversity of information channels, tending to be influenced by information and long-term communication with a fixed group, and low personal algorithmic literacy. The outcome probably indicates that the Xiaohongshu users are less resistant to the information cocoon and are deeply affected by it.

Persist Or Abandon? Exploring Chinese Users’ Continuance Intentions Toward AI Painting Tools

Persist Or Abandon? Exploring Chinese Users’ Continuance Intentions Toward AI Painting Tools

Factors of consumer choice of music streaming services in Russia and China

The streaming music service is one of the most important elements of digital ecosystems. Subscriptions, pre-orders, and in-app track purchases are extremely valuable for developers of streaming services, who are interested in promoting them among users. Previous studies do not contain comparative analyses of consumer behaviour of music streaming services for users in different countries. The purpose of the study is to compare the factors of choice of Russian users and users from China. The study consists of in-depth interviews with Russian service employees, followed by a quantitative survey that helps to identify the main factors of choosing a music streaming service. We discovered differences in the significance of factors for Russian and Chinese users. Logistic regression analysis allowed us to identify a variety of choice factors with different significance for customers who use the service; in order to succeed, ecosystems including music streaming services should immerse themselves in the particularities of consumer behaviour in a certain country, taking into account the uniqueness of the music market.

Transcendents in Translation: Buddhist Affordances for Imagining xian 仙 in China

Abstract: Many Buddhist scriptures in Chinese translation render the Indic ṛṣi (non-Buddhist sage or ascetic) as the Chinese xian 仙 (transcendent). This article explores how such a nativizing act of translation afforded Chinese users of Buddhist scriptures, from the medieval to the late imperial periods, various interpretive and polemical opportunities. Sometimes the appearance of xian in Buddhist scriptures facilitated Chinese Buddhist polemics against Daoism, but in other cases the same Buddhist xian provided Daoists the chance to appropriate Buddhist ideas into a Daoist soteriological framework. Still other cases involved complex negotiations over the precise meaning of xian , the nuances of which we must carefully tease out. Besides exploring many cases that illuminate the Chinese reception of Buddhist references to xian , I suggest that the concept of "affordance" is useful for analyzing the ramifications carried by particular translation choices made during the rendering of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.

The Younger, the TikToker: Investigating Social Media Ad Platforms for Young American and Chinese Users

With video-based social media platforms such as TikTok and Douyin gaining increasing popularity among young people, it is imperative for advertisers and social media practitioners to understand the role of these platforms before placing an advertisement. This experimental study examined four social media platforms (TikTok and Facebook for American users, and Douyin and WeChat for Chinese users) to analyze how young social media users perceive advertisements on each platform. The findings showed that social media users in the US are more critical of video advertisements on TikTok than on Facebook. In addition, the study found that American users are more generous than their Chinese counterparts while rating the personalities featured in advertised brands.

Unraveling Public Conspiracy Theories Toward ChatGPT in China: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Weibo Posts

ABSTRACT The inaccessibility of ChatGPT to Chinese users has fueled public conspiracy theories surrounding the technology. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 1,576 relevant Weibo posts to identify these conspiracy theories and the sociocultural and political factors at play. Our findings reveal four major themes, including a profound distrust of foreign high technology, nationalist fervor, disconcerting allegations of AI development, and sensational assertions of government manipulation of the fertility rate. More importantly, we observe that the escalation of nationalist sentiments in the online sphere exacerbates the spread of conspiracy theories, reflecting public concerns about the country’s technological progress and global reputation.

Factors influencing behavioral intentions in livestream shopping: A cross-cultural study

This study aimed to clarify two research questions: (1) How do perceptions of livestream shopping differ between users and non-users across the United States (US), China, and Japan? and (2) Among American, Chinese, and Japanese users, how do personal traits influence perceived social presence and attitudes toward livestream shopping, and how do social presence and attitudes influence behavioral intentions toward livestream shopping? A three-country online survey was conducted in 2023. For Research Question 1, regarding perceptions of stimulating purchases, facilitating communication, and improving personal quality of life, American non-users (N = 480) were significantly more positive than Japanese non-users (N = 572); regarding improving personal quality of life and societal benefits, Chinese users (N = 563) were significantly more positive than American users (N = 290). Results for Research Question 2 showed commonalities and differences between the US and China. Both countries showed positive effects of interpersonal orientation and trust in streamers on social presence, of change seeking and social presence on utilitarian attitudes, and of anticipated regret and social presence on hedonic attitudes. Main differences included the stronger influence of general online trust on utilitarian attitudes in the US versus the stronger influence of trust in streamers on both utilitarian and hedonic attitudes in China.

Why do users keep coming back to TikTok? Understanding users’ motivation toward the continuous use intention of Chinese adolescent social media users

In recent years, the TikTok platform has made a significant impact in the social media market worldwide, now holding a large market share in the short video service market popular with young people. Despite all this success, there is little research on how Internet users become loyal to TikTok. Hence, this study proposes a framework based on the use and gratification theory to evaluate the antecedents of adolescents’ continuous use motivations and behavior, and how they influence teenagers’ continuous use of TikTok. The survey population for this study was reached both online and offline. A total of 362 adolescent Chinese users of the TikTok platform were surveyed. The results show that self-expression, entertainment, information seeking, communication, and passing time were derived as adolescents’ motivations to use TikTok. Among these motivations, entertainment, communication, and passing time positively affect user satisfaction with TikTok. Furthermore, user satisfaction and loyalty positively affect the intention to continue using TikTok. Finally, this study advances understanding of adolescents’ use motivation of TikTok and provides new reference material for the continuous innovation of the short video format. AcknowledgmentThis study appreciated the partial financial support from Research Project of Anhui University of Science and Technology in 2023 (Project topic: Research on the construction and improvement strategy of mobile shopping experience evaluation system from the perspective of experience economy; Grant number: 2023yjrc30) and Key Research Projects of Humanities and Social Sciences in Colleges and Universities in Anhui Province (Project topic: Research on the Management Mechanism and Practical Path of Anhui Free Trade Zone; Grant number: SK2020A0199).

숏폼 콘텐츠와 추천 시스템의 특성이 중국 이용자의 몰입과 만족에 미치는 영향: 틱톡 영화 서머리 콘텐츠를 중심으로

숏폼 콘텐츠와 추천 시스템의 특성이 중국 이용자의 몰입과 만족에 미치는 영향: 틱톡 영화 서머리 콘텐츠를 중심으로

后疫情时代企业社会责任对顾客重购意愿的影响研究

The epidemic has been ongoing for nearly three years and has had a significant impact on many industries, especially the tourism industry. This study focuses on Ctrip homestays to study how companies gain customer trust and enhance brand value by enhancing social responsibility during the epidemic. At present, there is no consensus on whether corporate social responsibility can produce good results in crises. This study uses stakeholder theory, normative activation model, and planned behavior theory to study the impact of consumer trust and corporate consumer identity regulation of social responsibility on online repurchase intention. It also investigates the pathways through which individual and social norms affect corporate social responsibility’s willingness to repeat purchases. The survey sample selected 528 Chinese users of Ctrip. The research results showed that strategic charity activities directly affect consumers’ evaluation of corporate social responsibility, and environmental, economic, and ethical factors can also affect consumers’ evaluation of corporate social responsibility. Perceived corporate social responsibility does not directly affect consumers’ willingness to repurchase, but it indirectly affects consumers’ willingness to repurchase through their recognition of the company, while personal norms weaken the impact of perceived social responsibility and consumer trust on repurchase intention.

Does gamification affect knowledge-sharing behavior? The mediating role of intrinsic satisfaction needs

PurposeThis study employed self-determination theory (SDT) and the “Motivational affordance–Psychological outcomes–Behavioral outcomes” framework to investigate the relationship between gamification features and knowledge-sharing behavior in online communities.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model was tested with 281 Chinese users from an online social question and answer (Q&A) community. Partial least square structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.FindingsThe empirical results revealed that competence mediated the effects of immersion and achievement-related gamification features on knowledge sharing. Moreover, relatedness mediated the effects of immersion, achievement and social-related gamification features on knowledge sharing.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted on a Chinese Q&A platform, and the results may not be generalizable to other cultures or service providers with different goals.Practical implicationsThe study's findings indicate that gamification could serve as an effective toolkit for incentivizing and promoting knowledge sharing in online communities. The findings thus provide strategic insights for administrators of online communities seeking to leverage gamification designs to encourage user participation in knowledge-sharing activities.Originality/valueResearch on the role of gamification in promoting knowledge sharing has been limited in scope and has focused on tourism comment communities. Little evidence exists on the effect of gamification within social Q&A communities. Further, the finding of gamification's positive role in motivating knowledge sharing indicates the need for the knowledge-sharing field to focus on contextual factors.