Integrating elaboration likelihood model and herd theory in information security message persuasiveness

A study of parental decision-making over the vaccination of girls, based on the protection motivation theory and the elaboration likelihood model

This study proposed a new theoretical framework that combines the protection motivation theory and the elaboration likelihood model to examine how health information processing patterns influence parents' vaccination decision-making on behalf of their daughters. Based on survey data from 359 parents of girls aged 9-15, we tested the theoretical model by using structural equation model. The results showed that the central route, represented by information quality, affected the parents' perceptions of HPV severity and susceptibility; the peripheral route, represented by source credibility, influenced their perceptions of HPV severity, HPV susceptibility, vaccine response efficacy, and secondary risks. Also, Chinese parents' perceptions of HPV vaccines, not perceptions of HPV, affected their intention to vaccinate their daughters. The study suggests in addition to improving the quality of health information, the peripheral route, such as the release of vaccination photos, public immunization evaluations, and case narratives, should also be used to change parents' perceptions. Besides, reducing the traditional stigmatization of female sexuality and improving parents' understanding of the new generation's sexual attitudes will increase parents' intention to have their daughters vaccinated against HPV.

Source Credibility and the Information Quality Matter in Public Engagement on Social Networking Sites During the COVID-19 Crisis

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people use social networking sites (SNSs) to seek social support, ease the move toward the social distance, and communicate and engage with one another. However, there is growing evidence that trustworthiness and quality of information can affect individuals' online engagement behaviors. This study proposes a theoretical model to test people's online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic by applying the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Through a questionnaire survey of 630 SNS users, the study examines whether and how source credibility and information quality affect people's online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The model was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings show that source credibility and information quality have a significantly positive relationship with perceived benefit, while negative and significantly associated with perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived benefit is a stronger predictor of online public engagement than the perceived risk. To improve online public engagement as a crisis response strategy, careful source selection and careful generation of online crisis information should not be overlooked.

How Does Social Media Influence People to Get Vaccinated? The Elaboration Likelihood Model of a Person's Attitude and Intention to Get COVID-19 Vaccines

The global COVID-19 mass vaccination program has created a polemic amongst pro- and anti-vaccination groups on social media. However, the working mechanism on how the shared information might influence an individual decision to be vaccinated is still limited. This study embarks on adopting the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) framework. We examined the function of central route factors (information completeness and information accuracy) as well as peripheral route factors (experience sharing and social pressure) in influencing attitudes towards vaccination and the intention to obtain the vaccine. We use a factorial design to create eight different scenarios in the form of Twitter posts to test the interaction and emulate the situation on social media. In total, 528 respondents were involved in this study. Findings from this study indicated that both the central route and peripheral route significantly influence individually perceived informativeness and perceived persuasiveness. Consequently, these two factors significantly influence attitude towards vaccination and intention to obtain the vaccine. According to the findings, it is suggested that, apart from evidence-based communication, the government or any interested parties can utilize both experience sharing and social pressure elements to increase engagement related to COVID-19 vaccines on social media, such as Twitter.