Influence Of Information Research Articles

The evidentiary potential of art after genocide

Documentary archives, human remains, and witness testimony are often critical to transitional justice court proceedings and peace-building projects after mass violence. But what happens when those forms of evidence are missing? Can art stand in for the dead? Considering the use of art in Vann Nath’s testimony in the trial of Kaing Guek Eav (Duch) in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, in this paper, I argue that in the first case for the ECCC, Vann Nath’s art performed a similar role to that of human remains in other trials, providing evidence and proof of human rights violations including torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, arbitrary detention, and mass killing, while also activating affect (drawing on Hughes). As such, it provided a form of social proof, in a way similar to the human remains retained from the genocide and displayed across Cambodia. Both human remains and art draw on materiality and emotion as a means of proving violence. Positioning it as such prompts a reconsideration of the role of art in transitional justice: as well as being needed in cases where other visual evidence does not exist, art, with its ability to mobilize and communicate linguistically incommunicable affect, can be part of the evidentiary infrastructure in and of itself. Considering the place of art in trials after mass violence makes us rethink what evidence is and does. Ultimately, my argument is that to those who survive genocide or other mass violence social proof of atrocities, as provided by art, is as important as evidence deemed legally admissible to court.

Self-created or collaborative? The effects of virtual influencers' identity type and post type on purchase intentions

PurposeConsidering that when endorsing the same product, virtual influencers with different identity types (self-created, collaborative) can have different impacts on consumers' purchasing behaviors, this paper aims to explore how to maximize the impact effects of the VIs' respective identities. It provides companies with new perspectives on endorsement strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe interaction between VI identity type and post type (informational, storytelling) on purchase intention was analyzed in four experiments (N = 1,007), considering informational and normative social influence as intermediate mechanisms and consumer self-construal as moderators.FindingsThe findings show that self-created VI is suited to informational posts and collaborative VI to storytelling posts. This identity-content match effectively triggers the social influence mechanism: informational posts of self-created VI significantly enhance informational social influence. In contrast, storytelling posts of collaborative VI primarily stimulate normative social influence. Consumer self-construal also moderates the process of influencing mechanisms.Originality/valueBased on social influence theory and matching theory, this paper confirms the existence of an interaction between VI identity types, which influences consumers' purchase intention through informational and normative social influence. This finding fills the research gap in the field of VI endorsement strategy. It also emphasizes the importance of consumer self-construal and contributes new insights into the related field.

Influence of Social Media Marketing on Destination Choice among European Travelers

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of social media marketing on destination choice among European travelers. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Social media marketing has a significant influence on destination choice among European travelers, as it shapes their perceptions and decision-making processes. Studies show that platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube serve as key sources of inspiration and information, with user-generated content and influencer recommendations often playing a pivotal role in shaping travel preferences. Travelers are particularly drawn to visually appealing content, which showcases destinations' attractions, culture, and experiences in an engaging manner. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Uses and gratifications theory (UGT), social proof theory & elaboration likelihood Model (ELM) may be used to anchor future studies on the influence of social media marketing on destination choice among European travelers. Travel businesses should invest in creating visually compelling content that showcases their offerings. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) should adopt policies that prioritize high-quality visual content in their marketing strategies.

Examining the Mediating Influence of Credibility Linking with Influencer Marketing and Online Customer Reviews on Customer Purchase Decision

This paper focuses on the effects of influencer marketing and online customer reviews on customer purchasing decisions. Quantitative data was collected from 300 respondents and analyzed through SPSS. Process Macro was used to analyze the relations and mediation effects between the variables. The literature review indicates the increasing relevance of digital marketing and the impact of influencer marketing and online customer reviews on customer purchase decisions. Online customer reviews present ideal information as it is the social proof and influence purchasing decisions. According to the results, both influencer marketing and online customer reviews have a significant positive effect on influencing people's decisions when it comes to purchasing. This empirical research brings more light on how influencer marketing and online customer reviews along with credibility play powerful roles in structuring customer purchase decisions. It has a pragmatic impact on marketers for credibility in their digital marketing efforts to make sales.

Study on Impact of Neuroeconomics Tactics used by Streaming Services Companies (Eg. Netflix, Spotify) on Genz's Purchase Intentions in Ahmedabad City

This paper reflects on how the neuroeconomics strategies employed by streaming companies, like Netflix and Spotify, affect Generation Z's purchasing intentions in Ahmedabad City. Neuroeconomics endeavors to be an integrative science that explains how neuroscience and psychology will intervene in or complement economics to develop knowledge about understanding consumer decision-making processes and those factors that influence buying behavior. Having established such neuroeconomic theories, streaming service companies then hunt them under the guise of optimized user experience with visual and auditory stimuli and tailored recommendations to keep the user interested and waiting for another subscription or purchase. The effects of such strategies are pretty important to understand for the Gen Z audience - a bunch of kids known for their tech-savvy nature and instant gratification. This paper investigates how streaming applications make use of cognitive biases arising from loss aversion to dopamine-driven reward systems and social proof influencing the buying behavior of young consumers. A mixed method approach was used on a representative sample of Gen Z youths by surveys and interviews in Ahmedabad to collect the data. Overall, the findings from this study are expected to be very informative on how neuroeconomic strategies will or will not impact the consumption behavior of Gen Z in the streaming industry. This would be followed by actionable recommendations for companies about how they can maximize their marketing efforts to resonate more effectively with this emergent market going forward. As neuroeconomics and consumer behavior begin to intermix, streaming services stand to increase users' engagement, amplify sales, and cultivate long-term customer loyalty with Gen Z among urban India.

Trustworthiness of EHRs: Key Factors from a User-Centered Study in Germany

Abstract Background The integration of digital technologies, particularly Electronic Health Records (EHRs), promises substantial improvements in patient care and cost reductions. However, the success of EHRs depends heavily on patient trust and usage, which are influenced by their control over data visibility, storage, and sharing. Identifying the factors that enhance the perceived trustworthiness of EHRs is essential for increasing their reliability and acceptance in healthcare settings. Methods Participants (N = 30) first interacted with an interactive EHR prototype, then evaluated its trustworthiness and suggested improvements during semi-structured interviews. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes affecting perceptions of the EHR’s trustworthiness. Results Through thematic analysis, we developed a categorical system encompassing five principal themes: provider reputation, information quality, system characteristics, user control, and user feedback. The analysis revealed that deficiencies in design and usability indirectly affect perceptions of privacy and data security. Conclusions Our study underscores the critical role of contextual factors-including provider reputation, strategic IT partnerships, and user feedback-in cultivating trust in Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Addressing privacy concerns and bolstering user trust necessitates not only a professional approach to design and usability but also clear communication about adherence to rigorous data privacy and security standards. In Germany’s tightly regulated environment, clearly communicating EHR security standards is crucial. Enhancing trust also involves robust customer support, user control over their data, and leveraging social proof like high download rates or positive reviews. These approaches could significantly improve EHR acceptance and trust in digital health across the country. Key messages • The perceived trustworthiness of EHRs is essential for increasing their reliability and acceptance in healthcare settings. • Effective communication and design are critical for building trust in digital health technologies. Trust in EHRs grows with transparent data policies and empowering user controls.

The Effects of Behaviorally Informed Messages on COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions and Behavior: Evidence from Randomized Survey Experiments in South Africa

With COVID-19 vaccination rates remaining below optimal levels, scalable interventions to shift vaccination intentions are needed. We embedded two randomized experiments in South Africa’s COVID-19 Vaccine Survey (CVACS) to investigate the potential to change vaccine intentions and behavior. In Experiment 1, 3510 unvaccinated South African adults were randomly assigned to a no-message control group, a social norm message, or a message highlighting that vaccines were free, available and easy to obtain. The free and easy message significantly increased vaccine intentions but did not increase other outcome measures. The social proof message was associated with an increase in self-reported vaccination status at follow-up (not significant at traditional statistical thresholds). In Experiment 2, 3608 unvaccinated South African adults were randomly assigned to a no-message control group, a message highlighting gaining greater freedoms, or a message highlighting being part of the solution to the pandemic. Neither value proposition message increased vaccination intentions. Light-touch and scalable messages informed by behavioral science and social marketing principles may increase vaccination intentions and uptake, However, more attention should be paid to understanding the behavioral barriers experienced by different population segments, and to tailoring and targeting messaging to those barriers and segments.

Investigating Dark Patterns on Social Media: Implications for User Engagement and Impulse Buying Behavior

With the increasing use of social media and the proliferation of digital applications, dark patterns have become a significant concern due to their potential impact on user behavior. These patterns aim to influence user engagement and impulse buying in ways that are often subtle and undesired. Despite the importance of this issue, there is a lack of research examining the effects of dark patterns on engagement and impulse buying behavior, particularly in the Middle East. This study investigates key factors associated with dark patterns on social media that impact user engagement and influence impulse buying behavior. A Google Forms survey was conducted with 492 participants from PSUT in Jordan, and SEM was employed for hypothesis testing. The study found that time, effort, pleasure, and social acceptance significantly positively influence user engagement, while non-routine behavior exerts a negative influence. Furthermore, engagement demonstrated a significant positive effect on impulse buying behavior. Marketers should prioritize genuine connections and ethical practices to maintain trust and respect user autonomy. Dark patterns can erode trust and harm long-term relationships, emphasizing the need for transparency, social proof, and ethical data handling. This research addresses a significant gap in understanding the influence of dark patterns on consumer behavior.

The Impact of Online Pandemic-Related Information on Prosocial Behavior among Healthcare Students: The Role of Emotional Contagion and Epistemic Motivation.

Prosocial behavior is fundamental for healthcare students, shaped by their traits and the external environment. Online information seeking is the most commonly used way for healthcare students to access pandemics; however, it is unclear whether the willingness of healthcare students to help others will be affected by pandemic information via the Internet environment. The current study takes the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, investigating how 81 healthcare students with varying prosocial tendencies behaved helpfully after being exposed to pandemic-related pictures online. Study 1 measured the influence of emotional contagion (positive emotion/negative emotion) from online information on students' prosocial behavior; Study 2 examined online information's influence on prosocial behavior by controlling individuals' epistemic motivation (goal-directed task/no-goal-directed task) to gain pandemic information. The results indicated that negative pandemic information was more likely to influence students with low prosocial tendencies, which would then lead to a decrease in prosocial actions (F = 7.842, p = 0.005). Further, students with low prosocial tendencies were more likely to engage in prosocial behavior when they did not aim goal-directed attention to the pandemic-related information, compared to those with goal-directed attention (F = 9.159, p = 0.003). Participants with high prosocial tendencies did not differ much in helping others (p > 0.05). The results indicated that only healthcare students with limited prosocial tendencies were less inclined to assist others after receiving negative information about the pandemic. Thus, reducing their deliberate approach to online information related to the pandemic will increase their chances of taking prosocial behavior.

Continuous “Planting a seed of interest”: children’s book marketing strategies on Xiaohongshu

Purpose As one of China’s most influential social platforms, Xiaohongshu is considered an underexploited market with significant user traffic. This study aims to build on existing scholarly work on social media marketing by conducting an empirical analysis of Xiaohongshu’s content to explore effective marketing strategies for children’s books. Design/methodology/approach This study uses qualitative content analysis to investigate the marketing practices for children’s books on Xiaohongshu. By systematically coding and interpreting data, the authors identified core marketing strategies and their interactions among publishers of children’s books on the platform. Findings Based on viral marketing and social proof theories, the analysis delineates practices and interrelations among three key marketing strategy components: content creation, traffic navigation and sales conversion on Xiaohongshu. From this analysis, a conceptual model titled “Continuous ‘Planting a Seed’ of Interest: Strategies for Marketing Children’s Books on Xiaohongshu” was developed. Originality/value This research not only corroborates the existing literature on the transformative power of social media in marketing but also extends it by providing a focused examination of how these principles apply to the promotion of children’s books on Xiaohongshu. It also provides practical insights for publishers looking to develop effective marketing strategies.

Examining the Influence of Digital Media Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intentions

Digital marketing tactics, such as social media advertisements and online promotions, have an impact on customers' propensity to make purchases, influencing their purchasing decisions and behaviors. The effect of digital media marketing on consumers' intentions to purchase, is the term used to describe this phenomenon. Digital media marketing tactics have a problem that they can't take into consideration the variety of customer behaviors, which could result in generalized findings that are not applicable to certain market personal preferences. Randomly collected 180 participants for this study to find the impact of digital media marketing on customer buying intentions, and randomly questionnaires were collected. There are some factors depicted in this study that Consumer Purchase Intension (CPI) is a dependent variable, and independent variables such as Perceived Relevance (PR), Frequency of Exposure (FE), Content Quality (CQ), Platform Trust (PT), and Social Proof (SP). Digital media marketing's effect on consumers' ability to make purchases is investigated using statistical analysis using PLS-SEM, CFA, reliability, and Cronbach's alpha. The results of this investigation indicate a strong connection between CPI and digital media marketing and with reliable structures and believable models, it has successfully influenced consumer behavior and decision-making processes.

Using Psychological Reactance and Bandwagon Cues to Explain High School Sports Coaches’ Resistance to Concussion Communication Policies

Sport-related concussions (SRC) are a significant health risk for athletes amalgamated by issues with underreporting. Coaches play a pivotal role in promoting safety and health, but coach-player SRC communication efforts have been insufficient at improving players’ reporting behaviors. This study considers coaches’ responses to a proposed mandate to engage in SRC communication with athletes via psychological reactance theory (PRT), with bandwagoning cues positioned as a form of social proof that heightens or mitigates persuasion. Two hundred five coaches from 20 distinct sports were exposed to one of four messages addressing a proposed SRC management policy mandating biweekly coach-player communication about SRCs. The message variations incorporated different bandwagon cues (positive, negative, absent, mixed), manipulated through user comments and emoji reactions on a simulated social media environment. Results demonstrate direct and mediated relationships between exposure to negative bandwagon cues, bandwagon perceptions, freedom threat, reactance, and opposition intentions. Our findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of coaches’ attitudes towards SRC communication in a social media context, bridging gaps in the literature and introducing PRT to the SRC domain.

Influence of marital status on persuasion strategies in advertising regarding intention to purchase

This study has three chief objectives. Firstly, it aims to identify individual susceptibility to Cialdini’s persuasion strategies among consumers with different marital status. Secondly, it focuses on determining the susceptibility of each family member to persuasive strategies. Finally, the study examines the purchasing funnel among consumers with different marital status and different family roles. Two measurement scales are applied: the STPS questionnaire to establish susceptibility to persuasion strategies and the purchase funnel hierarchy model. The results of the first analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that divorced/separated users are susceptible to the principle of liking and authority, and married users – to commitment/consistency and social proof. The second variance analysis found the susceptibility of the children in the family: the first child was affected by liking, the second child – by scarcity, and the third – by commitment/consistency. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of a family member with age differences as the covariate shows that consumers of advertising exhibit a strong sensitivity to the principle of unity, which affects widowed husbands or wives. In the second covariance analysis, a strong sensitivity to product preferences was observed for single husbands over 25 and for young adults under 25 for divorced/separated people. These scientific findings may be valuable to various specialists in social psychology, consumer behavior, and those interested in the dynamics of family purchases.

The Role of Social Network Marketing on Consumer Engagement and Purchase Intention: A Review

This paper explores the influence of social network marketing on consumer engagement and purchase intentions. As a vital component of modern marketing, social network marketing leverages social media platforms to promote products and services, becoming a primary strategy for businesses to attract and interact with consumers. Through a literature review and case studies, this paper delves into the mechanisms by which social network marketing enhances consumer engagement, including the roles of social interaction, user-generated content, and social proof. Additionally, it examines how personalized marketing strategies and social recommendations within social network marketing influence consumers' purchase intentions. Finally, the paper discusses the limitations of current research and proposes future research directions to deepen the understanding of social network marketing's impact.

The Influence of Information Technology Adoption on the Financial Performance of Medan City MSMEs

This research was carried out based on phenomena that exist in the city of Medan. shows that there is an increase in the quality of community businesses by using information technology. The number of MSMEs in the city of Medan is a very large number, but not all MSME actors understand how to use technology to support their businesses. Information technology has an influence on increasing sales and income of MSMEs, such as increasing market access, operational efficiency and personalization of services. This research looks at how influential information technology is on the financial performance of MSMEs in the city of Medan. This research obtained data from 3 sub-districts which were used as research samples. if the significance value is <0.05, it means that variable X has an influence on variable Y and if the significance value is >0.05, it means that variable As a result of squaring R from the output, the coefficient of determination (R2) is 0.897, so from this table it can be seen that Information Technology has a good influence on the financial performance of Medan City MSMEs. Keywords: Technology Adoption, MSMEs.

The Art of Influencing: Exploring Persuasive Strategies in the Writings of Iranian University Students.

This study investigates persuasive strategies used in the writings of Iranian university students in the field of teaching English as foreign language (TEFL). The study utilized the 7 principles of persuasive strategies presented by Cialdini (The psychology of persuasion, Quill William Morrow, New York 1984; Pre-suasion: A revolutionary way to influence and persuade, Simon & Schuster, New York 2016), which include 'reciprocity', 'commitment and consistency', 'social proof', 'liking', 'authority', 'scarcity', and 'unity'. The results indicate that strategies such as 'liking', 'unity', and 'authority' were used more frequently than other persuasive strategies. On the other hand, 'scarcity' was the least used strategy by the participants. Significant gender differences were also observed in the data. These findings have important pedagogical implications and suggest the need to incorporate persuasive strategies into instructional materials and teaching practices to enhance the persuasive writing skills of university students. Furthermore, gender differences highlight the importance of considering individual differences when teaching persuasive writing. Finally, the study discusses the pedagogical implications of these findings in the context of learning and teaching.

The effects of persuasion principles on perceived honesty during shoulder surfing attacks

Purpose This study aimed to investigate how honest participants perceived an attacker to be during shoulder surfing scenarios that varied in terms of which Principle of Persuasion in Social Engineering (PPSE) was used, whether perceived honesty changed as scenarios progressed, and whether any changes were greater in some scenarios than others. Design/methodology/approach Participants read one of six shoulder surfing scenarios. Five depicted an attacker using one of the PPSEs. The other depicted an attacker using as few PPSEs as possible, which served as a control condition. Participants then rated perceived attacker honesty. Findings The results revealed honesty ratings in each condition were equal during the beginning of the conversation, participants in each condition perceived the attacker to be honest during the beginning of the conversation, perceived attacker honesty declined when the attacker requested the target perform an action that would afford shoulder surfing, perceived attacker honesty declined more when the Distraction and Social Proof PPSEs were used, participants perceived the attacker to be dishonest when making such requests using the Distraction and Social Proof PPSEs and perceived attacker honesty did not change when the attacker used the target’s computer. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this experiment is the first to investigate how persuasion tactics affect perceptions of attackers during shoulder surfing attacks. These results have important implications for shoulder surfing prevention training programs and penetration tests.

Recognising motivation in others: the effectiveness of using social proof to change driving behaviour

PurposeThis paper aims to extend the literature on social proof by looking at the effectiveness of social proof on behaviour change for environmental benefit.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on real case studies currently intended to encourage behaviour change among residents of a large UK city. An initial study assesses the motivation displayed within each case study. A second study then examines whether recipients recognise their own motivation in each case study.FindingsResults indicate that participants did not recognise their own motivation in the case studies that were expected to be most similar to them, suggesting that recipients do not recognise “social proof” according to motivation. However, a relationship is observed between recipients’ gender and the gender of the case studies.Research limitations/implicationsDemographics appear to be a better basis for social proof than motivation. This paper recommends several future avenues for further exploration, including using case studies that represent a wider range of characteristics (such as demographics). The current range of stimulus materials is limited, as these are real materials currently being used in a large UK city.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that portraying motivation is not a good basis for using the social proof principle. Instead, social marketers ought to focus on representing similarity to the intended audience based on other characteristics such as gender.Originality/valueThe research contributes a new direction in this field, using Self-determination Theory to match social proof examples to recipients.

I Go Where You Go: Imitation Behavior and Social Proof in Early-Stage Investments

I Go Where You Go: Imitation Behavior and Social Proof in Early-Stage Investments

Consumers’ online brand-related misinformation engagement: a weapons of influence perspective

ABSTRACT While misinformation has been around for centuries, the effects of online brand-related misinformation on consumers’ engagement remain tenuous. Addressing this gap, we develop the concept of online brand-related misinformation engagement, a consumer’s (e.g. cognitive/emotional) resource investment in their interactions with misinformation about brands. Recognizing the persuasive nature of misinformation, we draw on Cialdini’s Weapons of Persuasive Influence to develop a typology comprising three positively valenced online brand-related misinformation engagement sub-types (i.e. reciprocal, social proof-, and consistency-based misinformation engagement), and three negatively valenced online brand-related misinformation engagement sub-types (i.e. repudiating, thwarting, and oppositional misinformation engagement). We then develop a Weapons of Influence-informed model that outlines the effect of online brand-related misinformation authority and scarcity on consumers’ brand-related misinformation evaluation (liking), and its subsequent effect on their positive or negative online brand-related misinformation engagement, respectively. While consumers’ positive online brand-related misinformation engagement is predicted to yield online misinformation continuation or -intensification, its negative counterpart will generate online misinformation adjustment or -correction.