Impact of perceived risk on epidemic information seeking during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China

Abstract

This paper examines how perceived risk influences epidemic information seeking behaviour, which in turn helps us understand public information seeking generally. To this end, the effects of perceived risk, information needs and negative emotions on public epidemic information seeking were examined using a structural equation model (SEM) based on data collected via an online survey (N = 407) covering two regions in China, Guangdong and Hubei, and based on the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP). The results show that the epidemic risk perceived by citizens impacts information seeking based on the mediating effects of information needs and negative emotions. Furthermore, perceived risk has positive effects on information needs and negative emotions in that higher levels of information needs and stronger negative emotions positively facilitate the seeking of epidemic information.

Keywords:

• Epidemic
• perceived risk
• information seeking
• information needs
• negative emotions
• mediating effects