Categorizing young Facebook users based on their differential preference of social media heuristics: a Q-methodology approach

Dang, Duy Pham Thien, Nguyen, Long, Hoang, Ai Phoung, Pittayachawan, Siddhi, Akbari, Mohammadreza, and Nkhoma, Methews Zanda (2021) Categorizing young Facebook users based on their differential preference of social media heuristics: a Q-methodology approach. Pacific Asia Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13 (1). 3. pp. 71-96.

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DOI: 10.17705/1pais.13103

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.17705/1pais.13103

Abstract

Background: Social media have become an integral part of our modern society by providing platforms for users to create and exchange news, ideas, and information. The increasing use of social media has raised concerns about the reliability of the shared information, particularly information that is generated from anonymous users. Though prior studies have confirmed the important roles of heuristics and cues in the users’ evaluation of trustworthy information, there has been no research–to our knowledge–that categorized Facebook users based on their approaches to evaluating information credibility.

Method: We employed Q-methodology to extract insights from 55 young Vietnamese users and to categorize them into different groups based on the distinct sets of heuristics that they used to evaluate the trustworthiness of online information on Facebook.

Results: We identified four distinct types of young Facebook user groups that emerged based on their evaluation of online information trustworthiness. When evaluating online information trustworthiness on Facebook, these user groups assigned priorities differently to the characteristics of the online content, its original source, and the sharers or aggregators. We named these groups: (1) the balanced analyst, (2) the critical analyst, (3) the source analyst, and (4) the social network analyst.

Conclusion: The findings offer insights that contribute to information processing literature. Moreover, marketing practitioners who aim to disseminate information effectively on social networks should take these user groups’ perspectives into consideration.


Item ID:	72754
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1943-7544
Keywords:	Social Media, Social Network, Information Trustworthiness, Information Credibility, Credibility Heuristics
Related URLs:	Publisher
Copyright Information:	Copyright © Association for Information Systems.
Date Deposited:	27 May 2022 06:28
FoR Codes:	35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3503 Business systems in context > 350301 Business analytics @ 50% 35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3599 Other commerce, management, tourism and services > 359999 Other commerce, management, tourism and services not elsewhere classified @ 50%
SEO Codes:	22 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES > 2205 Media services > 220502 Internet, digital and social media @ 80% 22 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES > 2203 Information services > 220399 Information services not elsewhere classified @ 20%
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