Showing papers on "Credibility published in 2014"

Ensuring the Quality of the Findings of Qualitative Research: Looking at Trustworthiness Criteria

Abstract: Full text can be found at the following link http://jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.com/abstractview.php?id=19.

Social Media as Information Source: Recency of Updates and Credibility of Information

Abstract: Social media are increasingly being used as an information source, including information related to risks and crises. The current study examines how pieces of information available in social media impact perceptions of source credibility. Specifically, participants in the study were asked to view 1 of 3 mockTwitter.compages that varied the recency with which tweets were posted and then to report on their perceived source credibility of the page owner. Data indicate that recency of tweets impacts source credibility; however, this relationship is mediated by cognitive elaboration. These data suggest many implications for theory and application, both in computer-mediated communication and crisis communication. These implications are discussed, along with limitations of the current study and directions for future research.

Registered Reports A Method to Increase the Credibility of Published Results

Abstract: Ignoring replications and negative results is bad for science. This special issue presents a novel publishing format – Registered Reports – as a partial solution. Peer review occurs prior to data collection, design and analysis plans are preregistered, and results are reported regardless of outcome. Fourteen Registered Reports of replications of important published results in social psychology are reported with strong confirmatory tests. Further, the articles demonstrate open science practices such as open data, open materials, and disclosure of research process, conflicts of interest, and contributions. The credibility of published science will increase with cultural shifts that accept replications and negative results as viable research outcomes, and when transparency and reproducibility are part of standard research practice.

Examining the influence of online reviews on consumers' decision-making

Abstract: Along with the growth of Internet and electronic commerce, online consumer reviews have become an important source of information that assists consumers to make purchase decision. However, theoretical development and empirical testing in this area of research are still limited, which greatly hinder us from understanding the influence of online reviews. Drawing upon the heuristic-systematic model from the literature of dual-process theories, we develop a research model to identify factors that are important to consumers' purchase decision-making. The model is empirically tested with 191 users of an existing online review site. We find that argument quality of online reviews (systematic factor), which is characterized by perceived informativeness and perceived persuasiveness, has a significant effect on consumers' purchase intention. In addition, we find that source credibility and perceived quantity of reviews (heuristic factors) have direct impacts on purchase intention. The two heuristic factors further demonstrate positive influences on argument strength. This result is consistent with the proposition of bias effect in the heuristic-systematic model, which elucidates the interrelationship between heuristic and systematic factors. Based on the findings, we discuss implications for both researchers and practitioners. We develop a heuristic-systematic model to examine the influence of online reviews.Three systematic and heuristic factors are proposed to affect behavioral intention.Argument quality is defined with informativeness and persuasiveness dimensions.Source credibility and perceived quantity of reviews are the two heuristic factors.The two heuristic factors produce significant bias effects on argument quality.

How CSR Leads to Corporate Brand Equity: Mediating Mechanisms of Corporate Brand Credibility and Reputation

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate brand credibility, corporate brand equity, and corporate reputation. Structural equation modeling analysis provided support for the hypotheses from a sample of 867 consumers in South Korea. The results showed that CSR has a direct positive effect on corporate brand credibility and corporate reputation. In addition, the results indicate that corporate brand credibility mediates the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation. Moreover, corporate brand credibility mediates the relationship between CSR and corporate reputation. Finally, the relationship between CSR and corporate brand equity is sequentially and fully mediated by corporate brand credibility and corporate reputation. The theoretical and managerial implications of the results and limitations are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.

How to Read a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis and Apply the Results to Patient Care: Users’ Guides to the Medical Literature

Abstract: Clinical decisions should be based on the totality of the best evidence and not the results of individual studies. When clinicians apply the results of a systematic review or meta-analysis to patient care, they should start by evaluating the credibility of the methods of the systematic review, ie, the extent to which these methods have likely protected against misleading results. Credibility depends on whether the review addressed a sensible clinical question; included an exhaustive literature search; demonstrated reproducibility of the selection and assessment of studies; and presented results in a useful manner. For reviews that are sufficiently credible, clinicians must decide on the degree of confidence in the estimates that the evidence warrants (quality of evidence). Confidence depends on the risk of bias in the body of evidence; the precision and consistency of the results; whether the results directly apply to the patient of interest; and the likelihood of reporting bias. Shared decision making requires understanding of the estimates of magnitude of beneficial and harmful effects, and confidence in those estimates.

TweetCred: Real-Time Credibility Assessment of Content on Twitter

Abstract: During sudden onset crisis events, the presence of spam, rumors and fake content on Twitter reduces the value of information contained on its messages (or “tweets”). A possible solution to this problem is to use machine learning to automatically evaluate the credibility of a tweet, i.e. whether a person would deem the tweet believable or trustworthy. This has been often framed and studied as a supervised classification problem in an off-line (post-hoc) setting.

Gaining trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics

Abstract: Expertise is a prerequisite for communicator credibility, entailing the knowledge and ability to be accurate. Trust also is essential to communicator credibility. Audiences view trustworthiness as the motivation to be truthful. Identifying whom to trust follows systematic principles. People decide quickly another’s apparent intent: Who is friend or foe, on their side or not, or a cooperator or competitor. Those seemingly on their side are deemed warm (friendly, trustworthy). People then decide whether the other is competent to enact those intents. Perception of scientists, like other social perceptions, involves inferring both their apparent intent (warmth) and capability (competence). To illustrate, we polled adults online about typical American jobs, rated as American society views them, on warmth and competence dimensions, as well as relevant emotions. Ambivalently perceived high-competence but low-warmth, “envied” professions included lawyers, chief executive officers, engineers, accountants, scientists, and researchers. Being seen as competent but cold might not seem problematic until one recalls that communicator credibility requires not just status and expertise but also trustworthiness (warmth). Other research indicates the risk from being enviable. Turning to a case study of scientific communication, another online sample of adults described public attitudes toward climate scientists specifically. Although distrust is low, the apparent motive to gain research money is distrusted. The literature on climate science communicators agrees that the public trusts impartiality, not persuasive agendas. Overall, communicator credibility needs to address both expertise and trustworthiness. Scientists have earned audiences’ respect, but not necessarily their trust. Discussing, teaching, and sharing information can earn trust to show scientists’ trustworthy intentions.

Mitigating risk in ecommerce transactions: perceptions of information credibility and the role of user-generated ratings in product quality and purchase intention

Abstract: Although extremely popular, electronic commerce environments often lack information that has traditionally served to ensure trust among exchange partners. Digital technologies, however, have created new forms of "electronic word-of-mouth," which offer new potential for gathering credible information that guides consumer behaviors. We conducted a nationally representative survey and a focused experiment to assess how individuals perceive the credibility of online commercial information, particularly as compared to information available through more traditional channels, and to evaluate the specific aspects of ratings information that affect people's attitudes toward ecommerce. Survey results show that consumers rely heavily on web-based information as compared to other channels, and that ratings information is critical in the evaluation of the credibility of online commercial information. Experimental results indicate that ratings are positively associated with perceptions of product quality and purchase intention, but that people attend to average product ratings, but not to the number of ratings or to the combination of the average and the number of ratings together. Thus suggests that in spite of valuing the web and ratings as sources of commercial information, people use ratings information suboptimally by potentially privileging small numbers of ratings that could be idiosyncratic. In addition, product quality is shown to mediate the relationship between user ratings and purchase intention. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are considered for ecommerce scholars, consumers, and vendors.

How credibility affects eWOM reading: The influences of expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity on utilitarian and social functions

Abstract: In online information settings, a few people tend to contribute, while the majority of people consume. For this latter group of readers, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) provides information about products or service experiences that rarely are available from manufacturer-controlled sources, which makes this source of information especially helpful. In turn, eWOM influences readers' attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Manufacturers also hope to monitor and positively influence eWOM content, such as by supporting and building brand communities. But eWOM readers might doubt the credibility of information if it is mostly positive, and the usefulness of eWOM information depends on its credibility. This study offers an empirical and theoretical validation of how specific utilitarian and social functions of eWOM affect attitudes toward and intentions to read eWOM. In particular, trustworthiness is the most important credibility dimension; it affects both functions. Perceived expertise also enhances the utilitar...

The Media Strategy of ISIS

Abstract: The group's main tool has been brute force. As it attempts to build credibility and establish legitimacy, however, it has proved deft in the use of social media and cyber technology to drive home its messages.

Detecting misinformation in online social networks using cognitive psychology

Abstract: The paper explores the use of concepts in cognitive psychology to evaluate the spread of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda in online social networks. Analysing online social networks to identify metrics to infer cues of deception will enable us to measure diffusion of misinformation. The cognitive process involved in the decision to spread information involves answering four main questions viz consistency of message, coherency of message, credibility of source and general acceptability of message. We have used the cues of deception to analyse these questions to obtain solutions for preventing the spread of misinformation. We have proposed an algorithm to effectively detect deliberate spread of false information which would enable users to make informed decisions while spreading information in social networks. The computationally efficient algorithm uses the collaborative filtering property of social networks to measure the credibility of sources of information as well as quality of news items. The validation of the proposed methodology has been done on the online social network `Twitter’.

News Credibility Evaluation on Microblog with a Hierarchical Propagation Model

Abstract: Benefiting from its openness, collaboration and real-time features, Micro blog has become one of the most important news communication media in modern society. However, it is also filled with fake news. Without verification, such information could spread promptly through social network and result in serious consequences. To evaluate news credibility on Micro blog, we propose a hierarchical propagation model. We detect sub-events within a news event to describe its detailed aspects. Thus, for a news event, a three-layer credibility network consisting of event, sub-events and messages can represent it from different scale and reveal vital information for credibility evaluation. After linking these entities with their semantic and social associations, the credibility value of each entity is propagated on this network to achieve the final evaluation result. By formulating this propagation process as a graph optimization problem, we provide a globally optimal solution with an iterative algorithm. Experiments conducted on two real-world datasets show that the proposed model boosts the accuracy by more than 6% and the F-score by more than 16% over a baseline method.

Twenty-Five Years of Research on Violence in Digital Games and Aggression Empirical Evidence, Perspectives, and a Debate Gone Astray

Abstract: Violence in digital games has been a source of controversy in the scientific community and general public. Over two decades of research have examined this issue. However, much of this research has been undercut by methodological limitations and ideological statements that go beyond what scientific evidence could support. We review 25 years of experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and meta- analytical research in this field. Empirical evidence regarding the impact of violent digital games on player aggression is, at best, mixed and cannot support unambig- uous claims that such games are harmful or represent a public health crisis. Rather, indulgence in such claims risked damage to the credibility of games effects research, credibility which can only be restored through better empirical research and more conservative and careful statements by scholars. We encourage the field to engage in a responsible dialog and constructive debate that could continue to be enriching and invigorating.

Reputation and Status as Motives for War

Abstract: Justifications for war often invoke reputational or social aspirations: the need to protect national honor, status, reputation for resolve, credibility, and respect. Studies of these motives struggle with a variety of challenges: their primary empirical manifestation consists of beliefs, agents have incentives to misrepresent these beliefs, their logic is context-specific, and they meld intrinsic and instrumental motives. To help overcome these challenges, this review offers a general conceptual framework that integrates their strategic, cultural, and psychological logics. We summarize important findings and open questions, including: (1) whether leaders care about their reputations and status, (2) how to address the tension between instrumental and intrinsic motives, (3) whether observers draw inferences, (4) to whom and to what contextual breadth these inferences apply, and (5) how these relate to domestic audiences costs. Many important, tractable questions remain for future studies to answer.

Reputation and Status as Motives for War

Abstract: Justifications for war often invoke reputational or social aspirations: the need to protect national honor, status, reputation for resolve, credibility, and respect. Studies of these motives struggle with a variety of challenges: their primary empirical manifestation consists of beliefs, agents have incentives to misrepresent these beliefs, their logic is context specific, and they meld intrinsic and instrumental motives. To help overcome these challenges, this review offers a general conceptual framework that integrates their strategic, cultural, and psychological logics. We summarize important findings and open questions, including (a) whether leaders care about their reputations and status, (b) how to address the tension between instrumental and intrinsic motives, (c) how observers draw inferences, (d) to whom and across what contextual breadth these inferences apply, and (e) how these relate to domestic audience costs. Many important, tractable questions remain for future studies to answer.

Understanding news sharing in social media : An explanation from the diffusion of innovations theory

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw from the diffusion of innovations theory to explore multi-levels of influences (i.e. individuals, networks, news attributes) on news sharing in social media. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was designed and administered to 309 respondents. Structural equation modelling analysis was conducted to examine the three levels of influential factors. These included self-perceptions of opinion leadership and seeking at the individual level, perceived tie strength and homophily at the network level, and finally, perceived news credibility and news preference at the news attribute level. Findings – The results revealed that the influences of self-perceptions of opinion leadership, perceived tie strength in online networks and perceived preference of online news had significant effects on users’ news sharing intention in social media. However, self-perceptions of opinion seeking, homophily, and perceived news credibility were not significant. Originality/value – T...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Source Credibility Theory Applied to Logo and Website Design for Heightened Credibility and Consumer Trust

Abstract: Websites are often the first or only interaction a consumer has with a firm in modern commerce. Because consumers tend to make decisions within the first few seconds of online interaction, the first impression given to users can greatly determine a website's success. Leveraging source credibility theory, a strategy is presented for building credibility derived from a user's initial impressions of a website, in online environments. The study demonstrates that logos designed to communicate traits of credibility (i.e., expertise and trustworthiness) can trigger positive credibility judgments about the firm's website and that this increase in perceived credibility results in greater trust and willingness to transact with the firm. In addition, the study demonstrates distinct effects on consumers’ distrusting beliefs. The positive trust effects are magnified when the design of a website extends and complements the credibility-based logo design. This practice-supporting model further indicates how website desig...

Antecedents of Green Brand Equity: An Integrated Approach

Abstract: A steady demand for green products from concerned consumers has led companies to introduce new product lines that match or exceed consumer environmental concerns Nonetheless, not all the organizations were able to achieve significant returns on their investments in green products These failures are generally attributed towards companies’ inability to overcome consumer scepticism towards the performance of functional and green attributes of their brands to generate a positive green image and green value in consumers mind Therefore, the question arises that does the success in promoting green brand image and value depend on consumer existing perceptions about the brand quality and credibility? This study analyzes the influence of brand perceive quality and credibility on consumer perceptions towards a brand green image, green value and green equity A theoretical model with hypothesized relationships is developed and tested to answer these research questions Data have been collected from the consumers of electrical and electronic goods The hypothesized relationships were tested with the help of structural equation modeling procedure The results suggest that brand perceived quality and its overall credibility does have a significant influence on generating a greener image, green perceive value and green brand equity

An examination of negative e-WOM adoption: Brand commitment as a moderator

Abstract: This study combines the Yale Model and Attribution Theory to examine the interaction among message, source, receiver characteristics, and receiver perceptions of information credibility. Receivers were examined as to whether negative messages would influence their perception and actual adoption. This was an experimental study that adopted Starbucks as the research context. 502 valid questionnaires were collected. The data analysis results indicated that both consensus and vividness led to information receivers forming external attributions and perceiving information as credible; receiver brand commitment had a moderating effect on both relationships. Additionally, external attributions about writers had a positive and direct relationship with source credibility but not with information credibility. Source credibility had a positive influence on receiver information credibility but not on negative e-WOM adoption. Based on the results and findings, this study suggested that companies should construct their own communication platform to collect negative consumer comments. In terms of brand commitment, they must establish brand commitment through marketing activities and corporate social responsibility policies in order to mitigate the effect of negative e-WOM messages.

Is This Opinion Leader's Review Useful? Peripheral Cues for Online Review Helpfulness

Abstract: With the growing popularity of online user-generated reviews, research has emerged to understand the mechanism of how a review is voted helpful, focusing on the central-route influences of review content and quality, yet little research has studied the roles of peripheral cues such as reviewer credibility and contextual factors. Drawing on the theories of elaboration likelihood model and source credibility model, this study developed an integrative model of online review helpfulness, focusing on the direct influence of reviewer credibility and the moderating effects of service price and rating extremity. An econometrics regression analysis of 16,265 hotel reviews on Yelp showed that reviewer expertise in terms of the number of “Elite” badges, and reviewer online attractiveness in terms of the number of friends both helped a review receive helpfulness votes. The findings further revealed that a review written by an opinion leader (i.e., a reviewer with more Elite badges and more online friends) did not necessarily receive more helpfulness votes. Hotel price weakened the enhancing effect of reviewer expertise. Rating extremity also diluted the influence of reviewer credibility. These findings contribute to the knowledge of online review helpfulness, and offer practical implications on how to position valuable reviews.

Comparing and Combining List and Endorsement Experiments: Evidence from Afghanistan

Abstract: may improve the validity of measurements by reducing nonresponse and social desirability biases. We develop a statistical test and multivariate regression models for comparing and combining the results from list and endorsement experiments. We demonstrate that when carefully designed and analyzed, the two survey experiments can produce substantively similar empirical findings. Such agreement is shown to be possible even when these experiments are applied to one of the most challenging research environments: contemporary Afghanistan. We find that both experiments uncover similar patterns of support for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) among Pashtun respondents. Our findings suggest that multiple measurement strategies can enhance the credibility of empirical conclusions. Open-source software is available for implementing the proposed methods.

Framing Controversial Actions: Regulatory Focus, Source Credibility, and Stock Market Reaction to Poison Pill Adoption

Abstract: We contribute to the research on organizational accounts by examining the role of different framing languages and the credibility of the frame articulator on justifying controversial organizational actions. Drawing on regulatory focus theory and the literature on source credibility, we develop novel arguments as to how a gains-versus-nonlosses framing and the perceived credibility of the speaker influence stakeholder responses, as well as how the effectiveness of these aspects is influenced by context. We test our arguments using data on the framing of the adoption of "poison pills" by U.S. firms between 1983 and 2008. Using content analysis and an event study, we find that a gains framing aligned with the dominant institutional logic leads to a positive stock market reaction, while statements emanating from speakers with potentially self-serving interests negatively affect the stock market reaction. Our findings further show that the effectiveness of framing and source credibility are dependent on contextual attributes such as speaker visibility, prior performance, and practice prevalence

People on drugs: credibility of user statements in health communities

Abstract: Online health communities are a valuable source of information for patients and physicians. However, such user-generated resources are often plagued by inaccuracies and misinformation. In this work we propose a method for automatically establishing the credibility of user-generated medical statements and the trustworthiness of their authors by exploiting linguistic cues and distant supervision from expert sources. To this end we introduce a probabilistic graphical model that jointly learns user trustworthiness, statement credibility, and language objectivity.We apply this methodology to the task of extracting rare or unknown side-effects of medical drugs --- this being one of the problems where large scale non-expert data has the potential to complement expert medical knowledge. We show that our method can reliably extract side-effects and filter out false statements, while identifying trustworthy users that are likely to contribute valuable medical information.