Message Credibility Research Articles

PTAP: A novel secure privacy-preserving & traceable authentication protocol in VANETs

In vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), road traffic efficiency and road safety can be improved through message interaction and sharing between vehicle users, which inevitably depends on secure identity authentication and message credibility verification. However, security and privacy of message are the critical factors restricting VANETs’ development. Most existing protocols rely on the trusted third-party to achieve identity authentication and message, which are prone to system single points of failure and low efficiency. To address these challenges, in 2021, Vasudev and Das proposed a privacy preserving secure hash based authentication and revelation protocol. They claimed that their protocol can resist various known attacks, e.g. modification, man-in-the-middle, TPD stolen attack, et al. Unfortunately, in this paper, we found that their protocol does not address above-mentioned problems and has other devastating security bugs. Attacker can easily obtain vehicle’s original/real identity, pseudo-identity and password, which are the cornerstone of their protocol security. In other words, the attacker successfully can launch any attacks including those mentioned above to destroy the whole system. Then, a novel secure privacy-preserving traceable authentication protocol (abbreviated to PTAP) is proposed. The PTAP not only mitigates the weaknesses, but has other advantages. First, the PTAP uses semi-honest RSUs to realize interaction between stakeholders without the help of trusted third-party in extremely low computational cost (reducing 32.75% in vehicle side). Second, the PTAP can enable vehicles to enjoy the remote services with identity anonymity protection and location privacy (traceability when needed). Finally, the PTAP is proven to be safe against passive and active attacks under CDHP assumption and CL-eCK model. Hence, these features make the PTAP very suitable for high safety coefficient and computation-limited mobile devices (such as TPD) compared with other related existing protocols.

Make me happy, make it credible – the effect of CSR message framing on online brand engagement

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the differential impact of gain versus loss message framing on the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications in eliciting online brand engagement within the hospitality industry. Furthermore, this research aims to examine the extent to which evoked happiness and message credibility mediate the relationship between CSR message framing and online brand engagement, as these mediating factors have not been thoroughly examined in the existing academic literature.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a between-subjects experimental design to test an integrative research framework, which is grounded in message framing theory and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), in order to examine the interrelationships among the various constructs of the study within a coffee shop context on Facebook.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that gain framing is a more powerful predictor of online brand engagement than loss framing. A mediation analysis supports the assertion that the effects of CSR framing communications on online brand engagement are mediated by evoked happiness and message credibility. Specifically, when the CSR message was framed in a positive (gain) manner, it was perceived as more credible and evoked more happiness, leading to increased online brand engagement. Additionally, the study’s results provide empirical evidence for the notion that the happiness elicited by brand messages enhances their credibility, leading to further online brand engagement.Originality/valueThis research makes a novel contribution to the literature by investigating the distinct effects of message framing on online brand advocacy and examining the complex interrelationships that modulate consumer engagement within the context of the hospitality industry.

Self-Affirmation Effect on Risk Perception and the Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy in Anti-Alcohol Messages

Abstract The beneficial effect of self-affirmation on the reduction of people’s defensive responses and the increase in message acceptance has been widely demonstrated in different health-related topics. However, little is known about the specific conditions in which self-affirmation strategies might be more effective. Our objective is to explore the interplay of self-affirmation and self-efficacy in the context of alcohol consumption. Recruited participants were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation group or a no-treatment group and exposed to a video describing several consequences of alcohol consumption. Following the message exposure, participant’s drinking refusal self-efficacy was measured together with their perceived risk of daily alcohol intake. In line with our predictions, self-affirmed individuals who reported higher drinking refusal self-efficacy perceived daily alcohol consumption as a significantly higher risk than those who were assigned to the no-treatment condition. In contrast, for individuals with low drinking refusal self-efficacy, there was no significant difference in the perceived risk between the self-affirmed and the non-affirmed. We predicted and showed that self-affirmation influences the risk perception of daily drinking only for the people who reported higher drinking refusal self-efficacy. This indicates that self-efficacy could be an important factor that moderates the effect of self-affirmation in alcohol consumption domain.

Message matters: Correcting organisational fake news

Misinformation and fake news represent significant strategic and financial risks to organisations. To dispute or manage fake news, organisations are often compelled to respond. However, the most effective responses to organisational fake news are not well understood. Using an experimental design (N = 501), this research explored two common approaches organisations may employ when responding to fake news and examined their effects on consumer perceptions. Specifically, this research experimentally varied who delivers a correction to organisational fake news (i.e., correction source; CEO or Celebrity ambassador) and how the message is delivered (i.e., correction message; Factual or Narrative). The results indicated that consumer perceptions were not substantially altered when a correction was delivered by either the CEO or a Celebrity ambassador. However, corrections delivered using a narrative style were significantly more effective at enhancing consumer perceptions compared to factual corrections. Analyses indicated that the beneficial effects of a narrative corrective message on consumer perceptions was mediated by consumer's enhanced impressions of the source and message credibility. These findings suggest that organisations should develop risk management strategies that detail how corrections to fake news should be delivered to consumers, and particular attention should be devoted to the framing of the message.

Adolescents’ sexual health: Elucidating the paradoxical influence of Christianity in School Sexuality Education Programmes in King Cetshwayo District, South Africa

Despite the implementation of a school-based sexuality education programme meant to promote learners' sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and teenage pregnancy is increasing rapidly in South Africa. This phenomenon can be observed in rural schools such as those in King Cetshwayo district in the Kwazulu Natal Province. We argue that it is critical to investigate the contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of sexuality education in these schools, which ultimately impacts the learners' sexual health outcomes. The paper applies an information-motivation-behavioural skills model as its theoretical paradigm for this qualitative, phenomenological study. In 2020, nine focus group interviews were conducted to gather in-depth experiences and perspectives from a purposively sampled group of learners in the study setting. The analysis of the collected data was guided by the interpretative phenomenological analysis framework. The results indicated that the religious antecedents of learners and teachers and the activities of faith-based organisations in the study setting influence the acceptance or rejection of sexuality education messages. Based on the study findings, we argue that Christianity as a colonial religion has functioned as both a barrier and an enabler of effective school-based sexuality education. Therefore, we recommend that the paradoxical effects of religion on school-based sexuality education be addressed by optimising the enhancing effects and mitigating the inhibiting effects on sexuality education programmes in the research setting. We also propose that leaders of faith-based organisations be considered critical stakeholders in the implementation of a school-based sexuality education programme, hence the need for continuous engagement.

The next hype in social media advertising: Examining virtual influencers' brand endorsement effectiveness.

Virtual influencers are gaining prominence as a way of attracting people's attention on social media, but limited research has been conducted on this subject. In this research, we explore the effects of human-like virtual influencers (HVIs) vs. anime-like virtual influencers (AVIs) and sponsorship disclosure on message credibility perception and message attitudes. Conducted with a 2 (virtual influencer type: HVI vs. AVI) x 2 (sponsorship disclosure: absent vs. present) between-subjects experiment, our findings suggest that HVI endorsements produce greater perception of message credibility and message attitudes than AVI endorsements, but the superior effect of HVIs (vs. AVIs) vanishes when sponsorship is disclosed. The results also show that message credibility plays a significant mediating role only when sponsorship is not disclosed. We believe our research offers interesting insights to both researchers and practitioners on the topic of virtual influencers.

Longitudinal comparisons of self-affirmation approaches for sun protection.

Self-affirmation approaches for health behaviour demonstrate consistent small to medium effects on message acceptance, health intentions and behaviour change. There are several forms of self-affirmation (e.g., values affirmations, implementation intentions), but few empirical comparisons to guide selection in empirical work. Further, there has been little emphasis on the putative mechanisms of self-affirmation driving behaviour change. The current investigation compared a control and four self-affirmation approaches: values, social, implementation intention, and perspective taking. Participants were recruited through CloudResearch (N=666) and reported baseline sun exposure and protection behaviour at Time 1. One week later (Time 2), returning participants (N=535) were randomly assigned to condition, viewed a message conveying risks of sun exposure, and reported sun exposure and protection intentions for the next week. Follow-up one week later (Time 3; N=449) assessed past week sun exposure (i.e., number of days spent outside during peak hours), sun protection behaviour (e.g., sunscreen use), future sun exposure and protection intentions and engagement with resources conveying further health information (i.e., viewing infographics, following links to websites with more information). The association of putative mechanisms with self-affirmation conditions and health outcomes was also examined. Unexpectedly, there were few differences between self-affirmation conditions and the control on intentions, information seeking, or behaviour at follow-up. At follow-up, perspective circle participants reported fewer days spent outside, spent longer viewing infographics, and, along with social values participants, followed more weblinks seeking information than control participants. The putative mechanisms were unrelated to health outcomes. The current investigation was a first step in comparing novel online self-affirmation approaches and had largely null findings. Results suggest that the perspective circle performed best at promoting information seeking and, to some extent, behaviour change. Suggestions for future directions are discussed.

박의섭의 방송동극에 전개된 전래동화의 수용 의미

Park U-seop pioneered the radio drama genre and continued his fairy tale work for five years from 1937 to 1941. Especially this paper analyzes to find the meaning of accepting traditional fairy tale with Park’s passionate two radio dramas, “Loyal Tiger” and “Sneeze of a Fox” in 1938. In the two works, Park U-seop used his unique storytelling and expression techniques, and aimed for an allegorical method to effectively capture moral and ethical lessons. To find out the method, this paper focuses on acceptance of moral and didactic messages of fables. The two fairy tale dramas contain various areas of life in human history and the psychological prototype of the people. In addition, it reveals that the virtues of lessons based on reconciliation, forgiveness, and faith were implied in the works.

The Effectiveness of Organizational Sustainability Messaging to New Hires: An Exploratory Analysis of Signal Cost, Perceived Credibility, and Involvement Intention

A critical sustainability task is to communicate an organization’s sustainability values in a manner which yields favorable new hire perceptions and involvement. However, factors influencing the impact of sustainability messaging on new hire perceptions remain unexplored to the authors’ knowledge. This exploratory study explores these factors using an experimental vignette study design in which signal costliness and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were manipulated in the administration of a hypothetical new employee orientation presentation. The findings suggest that conditions in which extrinsic motivating factors were noted as the reason for organizational sustainability yielded higher perceived credibility and involvement intention among respondents. More costly sustainability messaging was detrimental to the perceived message credibility and employee involvement intentions.

That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart

Reviewed by: That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart Glenn B. Siniscalchi David Bentley Hart, That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019. Pp. 224. $16.00, paper. Recognizing that certain expressions of Christianity have taught that everyone will see the beatific vision, Hart maintains that the doctrine of universal salvation has frequently been the minority viewpoint within Christian communities. However, that minority stance does not prevent Hart from arguing persuasively that the credibility of the gospel message is at stake in this debate. This book is a mesmerizing defense of the claim that everyone will freely submit to the Christian God. This is not to say that all beliefs concerning damnation are logically incoherent, but one should acknowledge the strength of Hart’s theological and philosophical arguments in That All Shall be Saved that the fires of hell will cleanse the unrepentant of the shortcomings that prevented them from cooperating with the Reign of God during their earthly lifetimes. Each of four meditations focuses on a distinct argument in support of the basic thesis of the book. Following the lead of Gregory of Nyssa, for instance, the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo reinforces the theology of God as the origin and destiny of all human beings. The second meditation discusses some of the complicated issues related to the proper translations and exegesis of the biblical texts (and whether the doctrine of an eternal hell is biblically based). Hart offers a plethora of textual evidence that the doctrine of universal restoration is firmly rooted in the scriptures. The third meditation continues the tradition of classical Christian thought on the collective nature of the identity of human beings. To state the case succinctly, if one person is saved, we must conclude that everyone will reach heavenly bliss. In Hart’s words, “Finite persons are not self-enclosed individual substances; they are dynamic events of relations to what is other than themselves” (p. 151). The last meditation concentrates on the nature of freedom as a condition of being for responsibility and excellence, not as the mere ability to choose between competing options. With this traditional understanding of human freedom in the background, the onus is placed on whether the intellect is able to see the good and the true in a fallen world. God’s grace therefore becomes paramount in guiding human beings toward their final ends. Reading this book as a Catholic theologian with a strong interest in fundamental theology, interfaith dialogue, and the philosophy of religion, I have been fascinated by Hart’s scholarly publications and public lectures, many of which are available online. These have played a major role in convincing me that his depiction of the eschatological horizon is correct. Catholic scholars who live with anxieties about the incompatibilities between conciliar teachings and belief [End Page 125] in universal restoration are strongly encouraged to consult Trent Pomplun’s article, “Heat and Light: David Bentley Hart on the Fires of Hell,” Modern Theology 37 (April, 2021): 523–530. Many intellectuals have discussed Hart’s works in several respectable forums, but, when their reviews and commentaries are carefully interpreted, one becomes perplexed by the misrepresentations of the arguments in support of select universalist positions. As long as one accepts a few other foundational beliefs about the nature of a theistic God and Christianity, the cumulative effect of the case that is presented in Hart’s book will likely remain irrefutable. Glenn B. Siniscalchi Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, IN Copyright © 2023 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

LINGUISTIC MANIFESTATIONS OF AGGRESSIVE SPEECH BEHAVIORS OF MALE AND FEMALE POLITICIANS IN TELEVISED DEBATES

With more women entering politics, it is unclear if they are held to the same standards as their male counterparts or if they must adjust to new voter expectations. According to the Language Expectancy Theory, women are less successful than men in persuasion through verbal aggression because they are thought to go against social norms on acceptable behavior while men’s aggressive behavior is not perceived negatively. It is assumed that people form expectations about linguistic actions (language as a tool for communication) that ultimately influence their acceptance or rejection of persuasive messages. Men and women are expected to behave differently when being verbally aggressive, and those who do not fit these expectations are viewed more negatively than those who adhere to them. This research looks at two political debates to analyze aggressive speech behaviors of male and female politicians held on 19th February 2020 in Las Vegas and 15th October 2019 in Ohio . The study examines the linguistic manifestations of aggressive speech behaviors of male and female politicians in televised debates, considering the effects of the gender of the speakers. Two democratic presidential debates were used in this research.

Penerimaan Pesan Podcast Psikologid Sebagai Media Pembelajaran Untuk Kesehatan Mental Bagi Mahasiswa

As time goes by, information technology is increasingly developing which makes it easier for humans to create new media including audio media. Year 2020 is the year of the 'New golden age of audio' in which podcast listeners have tripled. Apart from that, 2020 was also the year when the Covid-19 pandemic appeared in Indonesia and had an adverse effect on the students’ mental health. The podcast that will be discussed in this study is one of the podcasts that are already present on Spotify which discusses mental health, namely the Psikologid podcast. The purpose of this study is to find out how the acceptance of Psikologid podcast messages as a learning medium for mental health for students. This study used a type of qualitative research with a descriptive approach. The results of this study indicate that of the eight informants who have been selected, four informants belong to a dominant hegemonic position, three informants belong to a negotiating position, and one informant enters an oppositional position that rejects or is not in line with the message conveyed through the Psikologid podcast. With different backgrounds, the eight informants have different responses about the messages they received through the Psikologid podcast.

The Effects of Influencer Types and Sponsorship Disclosure in Instagram Sponsored Posts

Brands and digital marketing rely on influencers more than ever. As the marketing landscape for social media influencers quickly changes, policies and regulations require standardized sponsorship disclosures. This study examined the effectiveness of three different types of sponsorship disclosure—no disclosure, implicit disclosure, and explicit (standardized) disclosure. This study also compared three different types of influencers and their effectiveness as endorsers: a celebrity, a micro-influencer, and a layperson. The results of an online experiment showed that the presence of sponsorship disclosure and explicit disclosure successfully activated consumers’ conceptual persuasion knowledge, which leads to diminished message credibility, engagement, product attitude, and purchase intention. Furthermore, the results show that a layperson is the most influential endorser; celebrities and micro-celebrities were indifferent as influencers.

TINJAUAN LITERATUR VIRAL MARKETING

Viral marketing is a phenomenon that emerged with the development of social media marketing; this study aims to provide information regarding the impact of viral marketing on the business world and enrich the literature related to the impact of viral marketing. A total of 20 journal articles relevant to viral marketing were selected and analyzed. The results of the review show that viral marketing has a positive impact on purchasing decisions for a product or service. It is important to provide entertaining, informative and credible messages in viral marketing content. This will result in high exposure. Research recommends driving viral marketing with a variety of digital marketing, such as websites, social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blogs. Viral marketing is also capable of creating explosive growth in a short time, and is able to reach a very wide audience. During the Covid-19 pandemic, viral marketing was able to have an impact on online impulsiveness and trust.

SMEs and dividend payout policy in case of poor legal environment

ABSTRACT This article investigates the dividend informational content hypothesis, showing how managers react to a poor legal environment through positive and credible messages to investors. We analyze private and public limited companies between 2015 and 2019, exploring the relation between their dividend payout policies and the courts’ ability to enforce creditor rights in case of insolvency. Based on our results, we can observe a positive relation between judicial delay and the SMEs’ decisions on dividend payouts, meaning that as the inefficiency of courts increases, small businesses are ever more likely to pay out dividends so that they can send a positive message to the local capital market. On the other hand, our results cannot confirm the same relation for public limited companies, which operate n the global capital market, highlighting the key role of local ties.

False information from near and far

We study message credibility in social networks with biased and unbiased agents. Biased agents prefer a specific outcome while unbiased agents prefer the true state of the world. Each agent who receives a message knows the identity (but not type) of the message creator and only the identity and types of their immediate neighbors. We characterize the perfect Bayesian equilibria of this game and demonstrate filtering by the network: the posterior beliefs of agents depend on the distance a message travels. Unbiased agents, who receive a message from a biased agent, are more likely to assign a higher credibility and transmit it further when they are further away from the source. For a given network, we compute the probability that it will always support the communication of messages by unbiased agents. Finally, we establish that under certain parameters, this probability increases when agents are uncertain about their network location.

Fighting cheapfakes: using a digital media literacy intervention to motivate reverse search of out-of-context visual misinformation

Abstract As a significant source of misinformation, out-of-context visual misinformation refers to visuals presented in an unrelated context. This study explores whether a digital media literacy intervention that features reverse image search tools has significant effects on participants’ message credibility judgment, discernment of visual misinformation, and intention of using reverse image search tools. Data were collected from a pre-registered, web-based, between-subjects experiment (N = 905). Results revealed a significant difference on intention of using reverse search tools among three experimental conditions: active intervention that involved both knowledge and behavior, passive intervention that involved knowledge only, and a control condition. Specifically, active intervention significantly increased intention of using reverse search tools, compared to the passive intervention and the control. Neither active nor passive intervention had an effect on credibility judgment or misinformation discernment. We discuss the implications for future digital media intervention designs and journalism practice that aim to combat visual misinformation.

How Generation X and Millennials Perceive Influencers’ Recommendations: Perceived Trustworthiness, Product Involvement, and Perceived Risk

Previous literature has found underlying differences in purchasing behaviors, consumption habits, and Internet and social media usage between Generation X and Millennials. The activities and how users engage with consumer advice made by popular social media personalities can differ according to their age. Recent studies have shown that trust in the message transmitted by influencers is a critical factor in explaining the impact of consumer recommendations on their followers. However, so far there is little evidence of the possible variation according to the generational cohort to which they belong. This paper attempts to fill this gap by reviewing theoretical contributions on the relationships between perceived trustworthiness, perceived risk, product involvement, and purchase intention. Next, we proposed an exploratory model that analyzes the differences through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with multigroup analysis. The resulting hypotheses were tested on a sample of 116 Millennial and 135 Generation X influencer followers. The results confirmed moderating effects of the generational cohort on message credibility and purchase intention, as well as on Millennials’ risk perception. Additionally, social norm and gender were analyzed, and heterogeneity was found according to the level of social norm of the followers.

Using Normative Language When Describing Scientific Findings: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Effects on Trust and Credibility.

BackgroundTrust in science and scientists has received renewed attention because of the “infodemic” occurring alongside COVID-19. A robust evidence basis shows that such trust is associated with belief in misinformation and willingness to engage in public and personal health behaviors. At the same time, trust and the associated construct of credibility are complex meta-cognitive concepts that often are oversimplified in quantitative research. The discussion of research often includes both normative language (what one ought to do based on a study’s findings) and cognitive language (what a study found), but these types of claims are very different, since normative claims make assumptions about people’s interests. Thus, this paper presents a protocol for a large randomized controlled trial to experimentally test whether some of the variability in trust in science and scientists and perceived message credibility is attributable to the use of normative language when sharing study findings in contrast to the use of cognitive language alone.ObjectiveThe objective of this trial will be to examine if reading normative and cognitive claims about a scientific study, compared to cognitive claims alone, results in lower trust in science and scientists as well as lower perceived credibility of the scientist who conducted the study, perceived credibility of the research, trust in the scientific information on the post, and trust in scientific information coming from the author of the post.MethodsWe will conduct a randomized controlled trial consisting of 2 parallel groups and a 1:1 allocation ratio. A sample of 1500 adults aged ≥18 years who represent the overall US population distribution by gender, race/ethnicity, and age will randomly be assigned to either an “intervention” arm (normative and cognitive claims) or a control arm (cognitive claims alone). In each arm, participants will view and verify their understanding of an ecologically valid claim or set of claims (ie, from a highly cited, published research study) designed to look like a social media post. Outcomes will be trust in science and scientists, the perceived credibility of the scientist who conducted the study, the perceived credibility of the research, trust in the scientific information on the post, and trust in scientific information coming from the author of the post. Analyses will incorporate 9 covariates.ResultsThis study will be conducted without using any external funding mechanisms.ConclusionsIf there is a measurable effect attributable to the inclusion of normative language when writing about scientific findings, it should generate discussion about how such findings are presented and disseminated.Trial RegistrationOpen Science Framework n7yfc; https://osf.io/n7yfcInternational Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/41747

A meta-analysis of antecedents and consequences of eWOM credibility: Investigation of moderating role of culture and platform type

This paper investigates the antecedents and consequences of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) credibility using a meta-analysis technique. The extant literature provides inconsistent findings related to eWOM credibility. These inconsistencies are primarily because of methodological differences or heterogeneity among previous studies, which leads to confusion amongst researchers and managers. We resolve this inconsistency and provide a conclusive takeaway on the determinants and consequences of eWOM credibility by conducting a meta-analysis of the 51 primary studies comprising 124 effect sizes. Results show that both review and reviewer-related determinants have a significant positive influence on eWOM credibility while consequences, namely purchase intention, eWOM adoption, and attitude towards the product, have a significant relationship with eWOM credibility. Furthermore, results indicate that culture, product type, and platform type are the moderating factors. Results of the study can be used by researchers to address the issue of omitted variable bias, while managers can use the findings to enhance the credibility of eWOM messages on various eWOM platforms.