scholarly journals Vaccine Hesitancy towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Investigating the Role of Information Sources through a Mediation Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 712-723
Author(s):  
Chiara Reno ◽  
Elisa Maietti ◽  
Zeno Di Valerio ◽  
Marco Montalti ◽  
Maria Pia Fantini ◽  
...  

Mass vaccination campaigns have been implemented worldwide to counteract the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic, however their effectiveness could be challenged by vaccine hesitancy. The tremendous rise in the use of social media have made them acquire a leading role as an information source, thus representing a crucial factor at play that could contribute to increase or mitigate vaccine hesitancy, as information sources play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion and perceptions. The aims of the study were to investigate if information sources could affect the attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination and if they could act as a mediator in the relationship between individual characteristics and vaccine hesitancy. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted by a professional panellist on a representative sample of 1011 citizens from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy in January 2021. A mediation analysis using structural equation modelling was performed. Our results show how social media directly or indirectly increases vaccine hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination, while the opposite effect was observed for institutional websites. Given the global widespread use of social media, their use should be enhanced to disseminate scientifically sound information to a greater audience to counteract vaccine hesitancy, while at the same time continuing to promote and update institutional websites that have proven to be effective in reducing vaccine hesitancy.

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110376
Author(s):  
Fakhar Shahzad ◽  
Adnan Abbas ◽  
Adnan Fateh ◽  
Raja Suzana Raja Kasim ◽  
Kashif Akram ◽  
...  

The excessive use of social media is an emerging phenomenon with several negative consequences in an entrepreneurial context. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome paradigm, this research aims to unveil the following: that social media late-night usage can affect two psychological strains (life invasion and technostress) among female entrepreneurs and thus influence their behavioral outcome (cognitive engagement). This study empirically tested the proposed mediation model using an online survey of 225 female entrepreneurs from the small- and medium-sized enterprise sector. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was implemented to obtain the results. The findings indicate that late-night social media usage significantly raises life invasion and technostress among female entrepreneurs. Moreover, internal strains (life invasion and technostress) reduce female entrepreneurs’ cognitive engagement and significantly mediate the association between late-night use of social media and entrepreneurial cognitive engagement. This study draws associated practical and theoretical contributions based on findings, which were not previously discussed.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yanfang Wu

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The debate about boundaries in journalism amid the rise of citizen journalism, the crisis of business models in the news industry and the use of social media in the news-gathering and dissemination process, has become a central focus in the media industry and academia. There is no doubt that the digital transition is a trend. Based on the Carlson's (2015) boundaries of journalism theory and Shoemaker and Vos' (2009) levels of analysis in the gatekeeping theory, administering a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire, national online survey (N=1063), conducting a Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis, the study seeks to find out the relationships between socialization and perceptions of digital impact on journalism, journalists and news organizations. The findings showed news organizations' social media culture affects journalists' use of social media. Twitter interactivity mediates journalists' social media internalization and their attitude toward social media. However, this mediating effects does not apply to Facebook and other social media interactivity. The distinguishing line between reporters and editors is blurring in news organizations. Older journalists (age>40) are picking up social media as additional journalistic tools and developing a positive attitude toward them. However, there still may be a long way to go before old journalists become experts in social media.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 576-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazir S. Hawi ◽  
Maya Samaha

The use of social media has grown exponentially to the extent of engaging close to one third of the world’s population as of January 2016. Actually, social media statistics have been reporting an average annual increase of 10% in total number of users. These extremely impressive statistics have been triggering researchers’ interest in investigating this phenomenon and its impact on every aspect of users’ lives. Our study is an attempt to contribute to the knowledge that is building up in relation to this phenomenon by examining the relationships between the addictive use of social media, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life. To achieve this purpose, a generic questionnaire, the Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (SMAQ), was used stemming from the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire. Respondents completed an online survey questionnaire which collected demographic information and responses to SMAQ, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. In addition to assessing SMAQ’s psychometric properties, data analyses included Pearson correlations between the variables, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results showed that a one-factor model of SMAQ had good psychometric properties and had high internal consistency. As for relations, addictive use of social media had a negative association with self-esteem, and the latter had a positive association with satisfaction with life. Furthermore, path analysis showed that self-esteem mediated the effect of social media addiction on satisfaction with life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Bauman ◽  
Natalia Velikova ◽  
Tim Dodd ◽  
Trey Blankenship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine generational differences in consumer Web 2.0 information source adoption for wine purchasing decisions, particularly social media and internet-based sources. Design/methodology/approach An online survey resulted in 276 responses from wine consumers residing in Texas, USA. Information source usage was tested in two common purchasing situations: for casual and formal consumption. Chi-square analyses and ANOVA were used to examine differences among the generational cohorts in their use of information sources, levels of objective and subjective wine knowledge, wine involvement and risk perception for the two purchasing situations. Findings Younger consumers were found to be significantly more inclined to use Web 2.0 information sources, such as wine blogs, wine applications, their contacts’ recommendations on social media and wine experts on social media. Older consumers were more likely to use their own wine knowledge. Of greater interest is that in terms of their reliance on various wine information sources, Generation X behaves as the bridge between Generation Y and Baby Boomers. Generational differences regarding wine involvement, wine knowledge and risk perception also support this notion. Practical implications The results of this study reinforce the need for wineries to adopt or create strategic initiatives using Web 2.0 elements. This study also suggests that depending on the purchasing context, consumers use certain information sources more than others. Originality/value This research extends the understanding of the information acquisition process by expanding the types of information sources, and also yields valuable insights for consumers’ off-premise wine purchasing decisions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Ribeiro ◽  
Suzanne Fonseca Amaro ◽  
Cláudia Seabra ◽  
José Luís Abrantes

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine factors that affect the likelihood to create travel content online. Research has shown that there are far more people consuming social media than generating it. However, online travel marketers need to pay attention to travelers that share their experiences online, as they have the potential to drive sales. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted to collect data for this study, by sending e-mail invitations to colleagues, students, personal contacts and other email contacts composed of Portuguese Internet users. A total of 244 complete responses were considered valid to test the hypotheses through partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings – The results reveal that travelers’ level of involvement with tourism products, innovativeness and use of social media directly influences writing reviews about travel experiences online. Research limitations/implications – First, the data used in this study were based on a convenience sample containing only the Portuguese population. Therefore, generalization of the results should be made with caution. The replication of this study in other countries would be desirable. Second, the study used a quantitative approach to examine the effect of personal characteristics on travel content creation. A research using also a qualitative approach could shed new light on the understanding of the research hypotheses. Practical implications – This study provides useful insights for travel social media websites and travel-related organizations, as they can adapt their marketing strategies to the type of travelers that are more likely to write about the travel services that they offer online. Originality/value – From a theoretical perspective, there are few studies that focus on the personal characteristics of travelers that create content online. The intention of this study is to help close this gap, providing useful insights with respect to this matter.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingxia Cao ◽  
Jeanny Liu

Social media play a role in the lives of young adults (18–25 years old), but motivators and influences of this and similar sources on their money handling are not well-understood. This study examined their personal finance information source choices using a non-random online survey (N = 229). Results of structural equation modeling suggested that four personal financial execution antecedent factors (i.e., impulse control, financial planning, financial motivation, and financial organization) may influence their selection of information source and such choice may affect financial satisfaction. Young adults who sought social media and online sources for personal financial decisions belonged to a distinct group, whereas their choices were associated with financial satisfaction. This study suggests that financial institutions and financial advisors targeting young adults should consider their financial executive orientations and connect with them through effective information sources, including social media.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Clark ◽  
Bomi Kang ◽  
Jennifer R. Calhoun

PurposeA competitive hospitality environment requires attracting new target markets. The purpose of this research is to investigate how young travelers’ intention to stay and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) are impacted by a hotel’s environmental sustainability communications on social media.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 306 participants via online survey and analyzed in SPSS and AMOS. Structural equation modeling was utilized for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe results support the use of social media marketing (SMM) by hotels to communicate sustainability efforts, increasing intentions to stay and expanding eWOM. Hospitality marketers can use these findings to better understand young travelers’ priorities and their information-gathering process when planning travel.Practical implicationsThe study revealed the positive relationship between travelers’ perceptions of hotel environmental sustainability and greater intention to stay and positive eWOM. This could lead to increased business and recommendations for hospitality companies from young consumers.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of how young customers respond to hotels’ efforts to promote environmental sustainability on social media. The findings add value to practitioners and academics in their understanding of how hospitality marketers can increase intention to stay and eWOM by marketing to young travelers about environmental sustainability on social media.


Author(s):  
Richard Fletcher ◽  
Steve Schifferes ◽  
Neil Thurman

Social media is now used as an information source in many different contexts. For professional journalists, the use of social media for news production creates new challenges for the verification process. This article describes the development and evaluation of the ‘Truthmeter’ – a tool that automatically scores the journalistic credibility of social media contributors in order to inform overall credibility assessments. The Truthmeter was evaluated using a three-stage process that used both qualitative and quantitative methods, consisting of (1) obtaining a ground truth, (2) building a description of existing practices and (3) calibration, modification and testing. As a result of the evaluation process, which could be generalized and applied in other contexts, the Truthmeter produced credibility scores that were closely aligned with those of trainee journalists. Substantively, the evaluation also highlighted the importance of ‘relational’ credibility assessments, where credibility may be attributed based on networked connections to other credible contributors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Shakaib Akram ◽  
Wafi Albalawi

<p>Social media has become a major source of communication and collaboration between individuals and among groups. The current paper investigates the underlying motives of social media adoption. The research identifies various determinants such as perceived connectedness, perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as the major influencers of social media adoption intention. Using the sample from Saudi Arabia an online survey is conducted. Structural equation modeling has been used to test the proposed relationships. The results reveal that individuals’ perceived connectedness and perceived enjoyment act as stimuli for their social media adoption intention. Moreover, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness mediate these stimuli and the individuals’ social media adoption intention. The paper concludes with the recommendations for the academicians and the social media designers/developers.</p>


Society ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-93
Author(s):  
Muhammad Saud ◽  
Rachmah Ida ◽  
Ansar Abbas ◽  
Asia Ashfaq ◽  
Araz Ramazan Ahmad

Digitalization in the modern era has provided opportunities for the youths to participate in this information and social spheres. The concentrated use of social media has contributed to the astonishing factor among the voters where social media has changed the preferences of youths toward the right to vote. The research aims to investigate the contributions and preferences of youths toward political participation in the contemporary discussion in Indonesia. This research was quantitative research using a purposive random sampling technique to give equal opportunity to each respondent. The mode of data collection was an online survey. The majority of the respondents in this research were the student of the universities. Data were collected in April 2019 to examine the interest of youths in general elections in Indonesia. This research found that social media and Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have provided a unique platform to discuss political matters and ‘take apart’ in political discussions. Existing in-depth researches on this phenomenon show that political awareness among youths in Indonesia is an essential part and social media is the leading indicator. This research suggested some recommendations for to usage of social media for the socialization of youths.


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