Examining the impact of digital information environments, information processing, and presumed influence on behavioral responses to COVID-19 misinformation in Asia

Abstract

This study examines exposure to, perception of, and behavioral responses to misinformation about COVID-19 on social media from the influence of presumed influence (IPI) framework. To understand how the digital information environment of a society shapes the spread and responses to pandemic misinformation, four culturally similar Asian cities—Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei—were selected, generating a sample of 4094 respondents. Our findings suggest a paradox—the more information respondents in the four cities have access to, the less likely they are to view misinformation on COVID-19 and accept it as true without elaboration. Moreover, the study extends IPI theory by demonstrating negative emotions as a mechanism that mediates the relationship between perceived social impact and behavioral intentions. That is, the more respondents perceived misinformation to be harmful, the more negatively they felt about misinformation, which led to greater likelihood of taking restrictive, promotional, and corrective actions.