Social Information Seeking Research Articles

The Roles of Legacy Versus Social Media Information Seeking in American and Chinese Consumers’ Hoarding During COVID-19

Through two studies conducted with cross-cultural samples (the United States and China), this research examines the psychological mechanism of consumer hoarding during COVID-19. Findings from Study 1 suggest that consumer hoarding is differently affected by legacy and social media information seeking, perceived scarcity, and scarcity attributions in the United States versus China. For China, while social media information seeking has a negative downstream relationship to hoarding, legacy media information seeking has a positive relationship with hoarding. In the United States, only social media information seeking has a positive relationship with hoarding. Further, these effects are significant when consumers attribute the scarcity responsibility to insufficient supply but not high demand. Study 2 shows that when the cause of scarcity is stated directly, perceived scarcity increases hoarding intention for Chinese consumers when the scarcity cause is due to supply but not demand, whereas U.S. consumers’ hoarding intention does not vary with the scarcity cause. The findings underscore cross-cultural differences in how legacy and social media information seeking influence consumer hoarding and highlight implications for situations in which hoarding is likely.

Narasi Industri Pemasaran dan Konsumen Baru: Komunikasi Pemasaran Di Media Sosial dan Perilaku Pencarian Informasi Kalangan Milenial dan Centenial

This article aims to explain social media marketing communication preference and information seeking behavior among digital natives, namely the Millennial and Centennial generations. By conducting a literature review on brand marketing communication on social media and information seeking behavior of millennial and centennial generations, there are both similarities and differences between the two generations preference. Similarities between the two generation lies in the use of social media as a source information about some brands. This causes both millennials and centennials prefer to contents that uploaded by other consumers on social media, both in attractive text and video formats. However, for the millennial generation, the use of influencers and word of mouth spread through social media content about a brand or product is said to have a greater impact than when messages about the brand are uploaded directly by the brand itself. Meanwhile, for the centennial generation, infomercial video format content is preferred and considered attractive compared to other marketing communication formats. In addition, for centennials, content by micro-influencers is also considered more trustworthy when compared to well-known influencers who are prefer by millenials. Therefore, it can be concluded that the difference in social media marketing communication preference for millennial and centennial generations lies on the uploader of the content and the format of the content itself.

Purposes of internet use among Iranian university students: exploring its relationship with social networking site (SNS) addiction

BackgroundHigher education students are heavy users of the internet for a wide variety of reasons, including Social Networking Sites (SNSs). This study investigated various purposes of internet use among undergraduate university students, and how different categories of such activities are related to SNS addiction.MethodsThe sample set from 420 SNS users (280 females), a survey questionnaire was used to collect the information, including demographic information, purposes for internet usage (social, entertainment, academic, and economic purposes), and SNS addiction. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and a path diagram to estimate the regression coefficients were used to examine the data.ResultsFindings revealed that the most common purposes for using the internet were online social networking and information seeking, followed by listening to music or watching movies, learning, relaxing, using email for educational needs, and reading socio-political news. In the comparison between categories of purposes for internet usage, the most prevalent group of purposes were academic and informative, recreational, social, and economic categories respectively. Moreover, the most significant influences belonged to the social group [positively], the academic and informative group (negatively), and the recreational group (positively) on SNS addiction respectively. The economic group of purposes did not have a significant influence on SNS addiction.ConclusionThis study has important implications for education and health providers, particularly in universities; we recommend that they try to improve students’ mental health and academic performance by providing opportunities for them to improve their IT literacy and skills.

The use of the Twitter network in raising awareness of the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) through analyzing the tweets of the UAE Ministry of Health and Community

This study aimed to determine the use of the Twitter network in raising awareness of the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) through analyzing the tweets of the UAE Ministry of Health and Community Protection that were published from 7/1/2020 - 31/7/2020, to reveal the communication role of health institutions in raising awareness of the disease. This study is a descriptive study that uses the analytical approach. It relied on the sample survey method using the content analysis tool. The tweet was considered as a unit of analysis using both social responsibility theory and information seeking. The number of tweets reached 513 tweets. The findings have shown that the Ministry of Health and Prevention in the UAE allocated 62% of its tweets in July to raise awareness of the emerging Corona virus and the majority of these tweets were supported by images and info graphics. Additionally, the tweets focused on all segments of the society. The interest of those in charge of the site appeared through answering all inquiries, The study recommends conducting specialized research in the field of communication networks and their role in health awareness.

“I enjoy thinking critically, and I'm in control”: Examining the influences of media literacy factors on misperceptions amidst the COVID-19 infodemic

Misinformation circulation has arguably reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an “infodemic” that severely endangers public health and well-being. Using a moderated mediation model, a survey of 712 respondents from China reveals that social media information seeking is positively associated with COVID-19 misperceptions, while need for cognition (NFC) is negatively associated with it. Both relationships became more significant while mediating through individuals' general misperceptions. Moreover, it is found that among those with greater locus of control over media, the association between social media information seeking and COVID-19 misperceptions became more positive, while the association between NFC and COVID-19 misperceptions became more negative among those with greater media locus of control. Findings provide insights into the misperception research and have practical implications regarding infodemic management.

Development of strategic social information seeking: Implications for cumulative culture.

Human learners are rarely the passive recipients of valuable social information. Rather, learners usually have to actively seek out information from a variety of potential others to determine who is in a position to provide useful information. Yet, the majority of developmental social learning paradigms do not address participants' ability to seek out information for themselves. To investigate age-related changes in children's ability to seek out appropriate social information, 3- to 8-year-olds (N = 218) were presented with a task requiring them to identify which of four possible demonstrators could provide critical information for unlocking a box. Appropriate information seeking improved significantly with age. The particularly high performance of 7- and 8-year-olds was consistent with the expectation that older children's increased metacognitive understanding would allow them to identify appropriate information sources. Appropriate social information seeking may have been overlooked as a significant cognitive challenge involved in fully benefiting from others' knowledge, potentially influencing understanding of the phylogenetic distribution of cumulative culture.

Touch Screens for Touchy Issues: Analysis of Accessing Sensitive Information from Mobile Devices

Smartphones, and other similar devices, are ideal for private activities: They are carried on the body and can be physically secured from prying eyes. They work anywhere. And they are not typically shared among family members or classmates, making them perfect for searching and exploring sensitive information - both via web search or through social information seeking. This paper validates these intuitions empirically, and builds on these observations to investigate the expression of sensitive information needs, such as inquiring about unplanned pregnancies, among users of mobile devices. We examine a large set of queries from the United States (4.2 million), submitted to Yahoo! Answers, and compare these to the 6.7 million queries submitted to Yahoo! search. Focusing on community question answering allows much richer analysis of the way information needs are expressed, setting our work apart form previous studies. For the first time, we empirically show that people prefer to express sensitive needs on mobile devices, as this manifests at both the lexical level and the semantic level, using a pre-defined taxonomy of topics. Further, we find that preference for mobile devices for sensitive topics holds true even when controlling for age and gender, which is facilitated by the large sample of users in our study (1.5 million). In particular, we show that young users, especially females, are more likely to inquire on sensitive issues, and are more likely to do this from locations distant from their common place of web access. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date of mobile social information seeking, and is unique in terms of demographic diversity, the granularity of information needs examined, and the analysis of the location-dependence of sensitive information needs.

Support Seeking in the Postpartum Period: Content Analysis of Posts in Web-Based Parenting Discussion Groups.

BackgroundThe transition from pregnancy to motherhood is a major developmental phase that can be challenging for both women and their families. For new mothers, the postpartum period is recognized as a critical period for increased risk of both physical and mental health concerns. For this reason, it is imperative that women receive accurate, evidence-based information during this time.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the conversations of new mothers on a web-based parenting forum to investigate what topics or concerns are being discussed.MethodsA leading Australian web-based support forum for women before and after birth was used to obtain a sample of posts from the mothers of infants aged 0-12 months. Quantitative data (word frequencies and sentiment analysis) and qualitative data (post content) were extracted from discussion threads and examined to determine sentiments and theoretical storylines.ResultsIn total, 260 posts were sampled. Infant care was the most prominent overarching topic discussed, with feeding and sleep being the most discussed subtopics. Discussions about maternal care were much less frequent but included questions about birth recovery, breastfeeding concerns, and interconception. A pattern of behavior emerged within the posts. This pattern resembled a cycle of learning across five phases: help seeking, solution ideation, testing and skill development, consolidation, and empowerment and improved mental well-being. A dynamic interplay was observed as mothers navigated new concerns or developmental changes.ConclusionsEngagement in web-based forums to seek help and support during the postpartum period was common, with infant health and well-being being the primary concerns for new mothers during this time. The identification of a maternal learning cycle within the forum underscores the contributory role of web-based communities in maternal peer social support, information seeking, and early parenting practices.

Using Machine Learning to Predict Young People's Internet Health and Social Service Information Seeking.

Machine learning creates new opportunities to design digital health interventions for youth at risk for acquiring HIV (YARH), capitalizing on YARH's health information seeking on the internet. To date, researchers have focused on descriptive analyses that associate individual factors with health-seeking behaviors, without estimating of the strength of these predictive models. We developed predictive models by applying machine learning methods (i.e., elastic net and lasso regression models) to YARH's self-reports of internet use. The YARH were aged 14-24 years old (N = 1287) from Los Angeles and New Orleans. Models were fit to three binary indicators of YARH's lifetime internet searches for general health, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and social service information. YARH responses regarding internet health information seeking were fed into machine learning models with potential predictor variables based on findings from previous research, including sociodemographic characteristics, sexual and gender minority identity, healthcare access and engagement, sexual behavior, substance use, and mental health. About half of the YARH reported seeking general health and SRH information and 26% sought social service information. Areas under the ROC curve (≥ .75) indicated strong predictive models and results were consistent with the existing literature. For example, higher education and sexual minority identification was associated with seeking general health, SRH, and social service information. New findings also emerged. Cisgender identity versus transgender and non-binary identities was associated with lower odds of general health, SRH, and social service information seeking. Experiencing intimate partner violence was associated with higher odds of seeking general health, SRH, and social service information. Findings demonstrate the ability to develop predictive models to inform targeted health information dissemination strategies but underscore the need to better understand health disparities that can be operationalized as predictors in machine learning algorithms.

Video learning analytics: Investigating behavioral patterns and learner clusters in video-based online learning

Video-based online learning is becoming commonplace in higher education settings. Prior studies have suggested design principles and instructional strategies to boost video-based learning. However, little research has been done on different learner characteristics, such as how learners behave, what behavioral patterns they exhibit, and how different they are from each other. To fill this research gap in student-video interaction, we employed learning analytics to obtain useful insights into students' learning in the context of video-based online learning. From 11 log behaviors represented by log data from 72 college students, four behavioral patterns were identified while students learned from videos: browsing, social interaction, information seeking, and environment configuration. Based on the behavioral patterns observed, participants were classified into two clusters. Participants in the active learner cluster exhibited frequent use of social interaction, information seeking, and environment configuration, while participants in the passive learner cluster exhibited only frequent browsing. We found that active learners exhibited higher learning achievement than passive learners.

Unpacking the uses and gratifications of Facebook: A study among college teachers in India

Although Facebook is increasingly popular among college teachers, very few empirical studies have investigated college teachers’ motives behind the usage of Facebook. In order to address this gap, the current study examines college teacher’s gratification motives behind the usage of Facebook by applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT). Pilot study revealed six dimensions of gratifications which were rated in importance by survey respondents (N ​= ​645). Factor analysis revealed four different gratifications, namely Social interaction, Information seeking, Affection seeking and Escape. Some of the important findings of the study were: Male teachers tend to use Facebook more for information seeking compared to their female counterparts; Younger college teachers spent more time on Facebook than their older counterparts; affection seeking and escape gratifications successfully predicted the time spend on Facebook by college teachers; advancement in communication technology blurred the boundary between personal and professional use of Facebook. The study’s implications can be utilized to refine and develop new features services on Facebook to cater the gratifications of academicians.

Examining relationships among strategies of social information seeking on Facebook and perceived accuracy of information through warranting value and source trust

ABSTRACT Strategies of information seeking (IS) about other people on social network sites have been examined in various interpersonal relationships. However, research has yet to account for whether, how, or why different strategies yield information of different quality. This study employs perceived warranting value and characteristics of a source as explanatory mechanisms to account for the relationship between strategies of IS and the perceived accuracy of information. An experiment randomly assigned people (N = 157) to engage in one of four IS strategies on Facebook for the purpose of reacquainting with another person. Trust in a source mediated the relationship between certain IS strategies and the accuracy of information obtained, but perceptions of warranting value did not.

WhatsApp Group 'Bantul in Hong Kong': Communication Platform of Indonesian Migrant Workers during Covid-19 Pandemic in Hong Kong

Communication is an important aspect for Indonesian Migrant Workers' survival (PMI) in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a crisis and uncertain situation, PMI from Bantul in Hong Kong communicate using the WhatsApp group "Bantul in Hong Kong" to stay connected with their partners. For this reason, this research aims to describe the motives of using the WhatsApp group "Bantul in Hong Kong" by PMI during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research employed qualitative case study approach. The Data was collected using in-depth interviews towards the WhatsApp group members which was selected by snowball sampling. The results showed that the motives of using WhatsApp group "Bantul in Hong Kong" were: social interaction, information seeking, entertainment, relaxation and comfort, sharing information, monitoring the other, and growing of communication empathy. In addition, the use of this platform also has negative effects such a communication irritation to group members.

Development of an Offline-Friend Addiction Questionnaire (O-FAQ): Are most people really social addicts?

A growing number of self-report measures aim to define interactions with social media in a pathological behavior framework, often using terminology focused on identifying those who are 'addicted' to engaging with others online. Specifically, measures of 'social media addiction' focus on motivations for online social information seeking, which could relate tomotivations for offline social information seeking. However,it could be the case that these same measures could reveal a pattern of friend addiction in general. This study develops the Offline-Friend Addiction Questionnaire (O-FAQ) by re-wording items from highly cited pathological social media use scales to reflect "spending time with friends". Our methodology for validation follows the currentliterature precedent in the development ofsocial media 'addiction' scales. The O-FAQ had a three-factor solution in an exploratory sample of N = 807 and these factors were stable in a 4-week retest (r = .72 to .86) and was validated against personality traits, and risk-taking behavior, in conceptually plausible directions. Using the same polythetic classification techniques as pathological social media use studies, we were able to classify 69% of our sample as addicted to spending time with their friends. The discussion of our satirical research is a critical reflection on the role of measurement and human sociality in social media research. We question the extent to which connecting with others can be considered an 'addiction' anddiscuss issues concerningthe validation of new 'addiction' measures without relevant medical constructs. Readers should approach our measure with a level of skepticism that should be afforded to current social media addiction measures.

Children's Social Information Seeking is Sensitive to Referential Ambiguity.

We examined children's spontaneous information seeking in response to referential ambiguity. Children ages 2-5 (n=160) identified the referents of familiar and novel labels. We manipulated ambiguity by changing the number of objects present and their familiarity (Experiments 1 and 2), and the availability of referential gaze (Experiment 2). In both experiments, children looked to the face of the experimenter more often while responding, specifically when the referent was ambiguous. In Experiment 2, 3- to 4-year olds also demonstrated sensitivity to graded referential evidence. These results suggest that social information seeking is an active learning behavior that could contribute to language acquisition in early childhood.

How Parents and Their Children Used Social Media and Technology at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations with Anxiety.

In this study, we examined parents' (n = 260) perceptions of their own and their children's use of social media and other types of communication technologies in the beginning stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related sanctions (e.g., social distancing) in the United States. We also examined associations between social media and technology use and anxiety. On average, parents reported that both they and their children (especially teenagers aged 13-18) had increased technology and social media use since the beginning of social distancing. Moreover, even after controlling for demographic factors, structural equation models showed that parents and children with higher levels of anxiety (as reported by parents) were more likely to increase their technology use and use social media and phones to connect. Among parents, higher anxiety was related to using social media for both social support and information seeking. Based on these results, we advocate for the utilization of social media by public health officials for collecting, collating, and dispersing accurate crisis-related information. As social media use is widespread, and there is potential for false rumors to cause erroneous behavioral action and/or undue stress and anxiety, we also suggest that social media campaigns be thoughtfully designed to account for individual differences in developmental stages and psychological vulnerabilities.

Continuance intention to use Facebook: understanding the roles of attitude and habit

PurposeThis study aims to propose a model for examining different effects of attitude, continued intention to use Facebook and habitual usage on social-information seeking and self-disclosure. Specifically, the proposed model aims to enhance continued intention to use and strengthen specific social networking behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis study involved a group of undergraduates, between 20 and 25 years. Most measurement items in this study came from relevant prior studies, and the questionnaire was prepared in English. On the basis of over 400 data points, all items were tested with structural equation modelling.FindingsTwo major findings emerged: attitude, continued intention to use and habitual usage affect self-disclosure; and habitual usage is the only factor that affects social-information seeking.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed model amplifies the significance of attitude, continued intention to use and habitual usage. The model also affords researchers an enhanced understanding of the Facebook usage of young adults. The key limitation of this study is that it only involves undergraduate students.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that online marketers should prepare diverse kinds of strategies, particularly to understand different behaviours of their fan pages’ followers. Specific communication strategies should be used.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impacts of the three factors in one study. It enriches the extent to which prior studies identified and acknowledged the roles played by attitude, continued intention to use and habitual usage.

Student Loneliness: The Role of Social Media Through Life Transitions

The move to university can be difficult for students- a transition often characterised by a risk of loneliness and poor mental health. Previous work highlights the important role social media can play in this transition. We report findings from a large-scale survey of 510 first year undergraduates across the UK, identifying factors that predict student loneliness, and exploring their social media use. Higher levels of social capital, induction satisfaction, and sense of community are significantly associated with lower levels of loneliness. Conversely, those reporting a more ‘liminal self’- the desire to edit and reinvent yourself online - experience greater loneliness- with an indirect relationship between online social information seeking and loneliness, through social capital. We surmise that being ‘true to yourself’ online is important when starting university, and that social media can be a useful tool in facilitating offline relationships and maintaining ties to old friends.

Applying uses and gratifications theory to understand customer participation in social media brand communities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how various gratifications obtained in the social media context affect customer participation, and its sequential effect on brand trust, brand commitment and word of mouth (WOM) in social media brand communities.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 352 respondents who used social media using a survey method. The data were assessed using AMOS with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings depicted that among all gratifications obtained in the social media context, information seeking, incentive and brand likeability strongly affect customer participation, which sequentially affect brand trust, commitment and WOM in social media brand communities. In the context of social media brand communities, brand trust partially mediates the relationship between customer participation and its two outcome variables (brand commitment and WOM).Originality/valueThe present paper contributes that theory of uses and gratifications has particular significance and supposed to be provided further importance in the field of social media. It also presents a vivid and rich understanding of why customers use social media and participate in social media brand communities.

The Driving Forces of Facebook Social Commerce

Trust is viewed as a crucial factor in social commerce due to the prominent role and significant amount of peer-generated contents. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between trust in social commerce and customers' purchase intentions by providing a mechanism to describe this relationship. Thus, a proposed model is developed based on three concepts: social presence, social commerce information seeking and familiarity with the platform. The model explains the mechanisms through which social commerce information seeking, familiarity, social presence and trust influence customers' intentions to purchase from social commerce platforms. For the purpose of this study, a survey is designed and distributed to Facebook users. The findings demonstrate that trust in a social networking site has positive influence on purchase intentions. Moreover, trust encourages information seeking, which in turn improves purchase intentions. Furthermore, both social presence and familiarity are found to enhance trust and purchase intentions. According to the findings, several managerial and theoretical implications are highlighted. Particularly, as the first study to investigate the adoption of social commerce among Jordanian customers, this study offers valuable insights and implications for Jordanian firms' managers and marketers who are targeting direct sales on social networking platforms.