Integrating Interpersonal Communication into the Influence of Presumed Media Influence Model: Understanding Intentions to Censor and Correct COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media

ABSTRACT

We extended the influence of presumed media influence model by taking interpersonal communication into account. Our survey (N = 642) results revealed that individuals’ attention to COVID-19 information on social media and their engagement in interpersonal communication about the disease independently and jointly affected presumed others’ attention. The more that individuals engaged in interpersonal communication, the less that their attention to mediated content factored into how they perceived others’ attention to such content. Presumed others’ attention, in turn, was positively associated with presuming that others were influenced by COVID-19 misinformation and the intention to correct, but not censor, misinformation.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (19CXW033)

Notes on contributors

Jingyuan Shi

Jingyuan Shi (Ph.D., Nanyang Technological University) is an assistant professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Her research interests converge at the intersection of persuasion, health communication, and new communication technologies.

Liang Chen

Liang Chen (Ph.D., Nanyang Technological University) is an associate professor at the Tsinghua University. His research interests include health, environmental, and risk communication.

Stephanie Jean Tsang

Stephanie Jean Tsang (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an assistant professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Her research focuses on the psychology of the media audiences, particularly the study of message effects and persuasion on digital media.