A Story is Better Told With Collective Interests: An Experimental Examination of Misinformation Correction During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: To examine strategies that help motivate social correction behaviors to combat COVID-19-related health misinformation on social media. DESIGN: 2 (message types: narrative vs statistics) x 2 (social frames: individual vs collective) between-subjects experiment. SETTING: Qualtrics-based online experiment via Lucid. SUBJECTS: The final sample consisted of 450 participants (Mage = 45.31). MEASURES: Manipulation check, discussion and correction intentions, and need for cognition (NFC). ANALYSIS: ANCOVA and PROCESS model 3 were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Significant interaction effects emerged between message types and social frames on discussion intention, F (1, 442) = 5.26, P = .022, and correction intention, F (1, 442) = 4.85, P = .028. Collectively framed narrative correction (Mdiscussion = 3.15, Mcorrection = 3.17) was more effective than individually framed narrative correction (Mdiscussion = 2.73, Mcorrection = 2.77). Individually framed statistical correction (Mdiscussion = 3.10, Mcorrection = 2.95) was more persuasive than collectively framed statistical correction (Mdiscussion = 2.89, Mcorrection = 2.69). The interaction effects were more evident for people low on NFC, P = .031. CONCLUSION: In motivating social correction behaviors, a story is better told with an emphasis on collective interests, and numbers are better presented with personal gains and losses. Future interventions should identify the target audience based on the level of NFC.

To whom do restaurants' preventive measures matter more during a pandemic? The moderating effects of need-for-cognition and relationship strength

Purpose: Does every customer respond in the same way to restaurants' preventive measures (PM)? To answer this question, the purpose of the present study was to examine the moderating role of need-for-cognition (NC) and customer-restaurant relationship strength (RS) in the impact of restaurants' PM on dine-in intentions using a trust (Study 1) and psychological discomfort (Study 2) as mediators. Design/methodology/approach: Two studies were conducted using a 2 (PM: present vs control) × 2 (RS: strong vs weak) factorial design. NC was treated as a continuous variable in the regression model. Findings: The results of two experimental studies showed that people with a high NC are more likely to show positive responses (higher trust and less discomfort) to restaurants' PM when they have strong relationships with the restaurant. In contrast, people with a low NC did not show any interaction between PM and RS for trust and discomfort. Practical implications: For restaurants targeting people with a high NC and with more returning customers than new customers, the study results suggest that safety measures should be promoted. Originality/value: The present study expands the knowledge of customers' reactions to restaurants' PM by using the theoretical foundation of the ELM. The results of this study contribute to hospitality research by demonstrating the differences in customers' thought processes according to their NC and the strength of their relationship with the restaurant. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

BINGE-WATCHING DURING THE PANDEMIC: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN INDIA

Purpose – This study attempts to reveal the motivation of individuals for binge-watching. The motivational factors considered are enjoyment, efficiency, recommendations of others, perceived control, and fandom. The underlying framework used to explore the association of various motivational factors with binge-watching behavior is the Uses and Gratifications theory. The study also aims to contribute additional insight to the current literature on bingewatching by showing the moderating effects that the traits of sensation-seeking and need for cognition have on binge-watching behavior. Design/Methodology/Approach – Data was collected through a survey of 298 respondents who used online digital video platforms during phase I of the lockdown in India in April 2020. Analysis and testing were performed using Warp PLS 20 in order to understand binge-watch-ing behavior during the pandemic. Findings and Implications – The study found enjoyment and efficiency to be the most influential predic-tors of binge-watching motivation, with fandom as the second most influential. Moreover, a major contribution of this study stems from the finding that sensationseek-ing and binge-watching behavior do not moderate the relationship between binge-watching motivation and binge-watching behavior. Limitations – The sample consisted of individuals from only one country. Originality – This study focuses on the motivators of binge-watching behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic from the aspect of the Uses and Gratifications theory. © 2022, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb. All rights reserved.

Science vs. Conspiracy Theory about COVID-19: Need for Cognition and Openness to Experience Increased Belief in Conspiracy-Theoretical Postings on Social Media.

In the context of COVID-19 virus containment, there is a lack of acceptance of preventive measures in the population. The present work investigated which factors influence the belief in scientific propositions compared with belief in conspiracy theories. The focus here was on the determinants of conspiracy beliefs in the context of COVID-19 related media content. Using an online questionnaire (N = 175), results indicate that scientific compared to conspiracy-theoretical media content led to higher acceptance. Furthermore, need for cognition (NFC-K), a conspiracy-theoretical worldview (CMQ), and openness to experience (NEO-FFI) were positively associated with conspiracy beliefs derived from Facebook postings. In addition, a conspiracy-theoretical worldview was negatively associated with belief in scientific media content. Furthermore, agreeableness was unrelated to conspiracy beliefs, although it was positively associated with conspiracy-theoretical worldview. The results imply promising persuasion strategies for reducing conspiracy-theoretical beliefs and to increase the acceptance of preventive measures.

Explaining News Trust in Social Media News during the COVID-19 Pandemic-The Role of a Need for Cognition and News Engagement.

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, people have, in many cases, acquired information primarily from social media. Users' need to stay informed and the intensive circulation of news has led to the spread of misinformation. As they have engaged in news, it has raised the question of trust. This study provides a model on how news trust can be explained through a need for cognition and news engagement. Accordingly, 433 Slovenian social media users participated in our survey. Structural equation modeling revealed that (1) the lower the need for cognition and the more prior knowledge about COVID-19 users have, the more they believe that social media news comprises all facts about the disease; (2) the more users believe that news comprises all essential facts, the more they trust that the news depicts the actual situation about COVID-19 accurately; (3) the more users are interested in engaging with social media news, the more they trust that the actual situation about COVID-19 is depicted accurately. These findings may help authorities to frame messages about COVID-19 effectively. We suggest investing more effort in disseminating new scientific evidence about the disease to contribute to the accurate shaping of knowledge about COVID-19 among social media users.

Need for cognition in resident assistants

My study addresses how experiences within the role of a resident assistant (RA) may be related to need for cognition, a measure describing an individual's capacity and desire to engage in effortful thinking. To investigate this relationship, I used a pretest and posttest survey methodology. This methodology allowed me to determine if RAs experienced a significant change in their need for cognition after one year in the RA role and what variables within the RA role were related to need for cognition. Several factors within the RA experience were correlated with need for cognition. These factors were ACT score, gender, positive diversity experiences, the changing of a significant belief as a result of working as an RA, and weekly hours worked as a RA. Of these factors, only ACT was predictive of need for cognition. The results of my study confirm that ACT is a significant predictor for need for cognition. My results also suggest that RAs' experiences with diversity may play a significant role in the development of their need for cognition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Who endorses conspiracy theories? A moderated mediation model of Chinese and international social media use, media skepticism, need for cognition, and COVID-19 conspiracy theory endorsement in China.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, various conspiracy theories have been circulating through social media platforms. Scholars have raised concerns about the negative ramifications of conspiracy theories, such as the deterrence of preventive measures. Against this backdrop, the current study analyzed an online survey (N = 731) from China and examined the conditional indirect effects of Chinese and international social media use on conspiracy theory endorsement (CTE) regarding COVID-19. Findings showed that Chinese social media use was not associated with CTE, while international social media use was negatively associated with CTE. Moreover, the significant association was mediated by media skepticism. Further, individuals' level of need for cognition (NFC) was found to moderate the indirect effect. That is, among people with higher levels of NFC, the negative indirect effect of international social media use on CTE became stronger. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Individual differences in social distancing and mask-wearing in the pandemic of COVID-19: The role of need for cognition, self-control and risk attitude.

In the United States, while the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase, the practice of social distancing and mask-wearing have been controversial and even politicized. The present study examined the role of psychological traits in social distancing compliance and mask-wearing behavior and attitude. A sample of 233 U.S. adult residents were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants completed scales of social distancing compliance, mask-wearing behavior and attitude, need for cognition, self-control, risk attitude, and political ideology. Epidemiological information (seven-day positive rate and the number of cases per 100,000) was obtained based on the state participants resided in. As a result, epidemiological information did not correlate with social distancing compliance mask-wearing. Political ideology, on the other hand, was a significant factor, with a more liberal tendency being associated with greater engagement in social distancing compliance and mask-wearing behavior an attitude. Importantly, those who were more risk averse, or had a higher level of self-control or need for cognition practiced more social distancing and mask-wearing, after controlling for demographics, epidemiological information, and political ideology. Furthermore, for mask-wearing behavior, political ideology interacted with both need for cognition and self-control. Collectively, the study revealed the psychological roots of individual differences in social distancing and mask-wearing compliance.