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Understanding Online Health Risk Information Seeking and Avoiding during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Xin Zhou1, Anthony J Roberto2, Anya Hommadova Lu3
1W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University.
The Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model effectively explains why individuals seek or avoid COVID-19 information online. Fear and information gaps were key drivers for seeking, while only information gaps predicted avoidance.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Psychology
- Information Science
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for timely and accurate online health information.
- Understanding information-seeking and avoidance behaviors is crucial for public health communication strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model's effectiveness in explaining online information seeking and avoidance related to COVID-19.
- To identify key predictors of information-seeking and avoidance behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal data collection at three time points (February, April, May 2020).
- Utilized the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model constructs.
- Statistical analysis to determine variance explained and predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- RISP model constructs explained 70-78.8% of variance in information seeking and 36.9-62.5% in information avoidance.
- Fear, information insufficiency, and relevant channel beliefs consistently predicted information seeking.
- Information insufficiency and relevant channel beliefs predicted information avoidance, but fear did not.
Conclusions:
- The RISP model provides a robust framework for understanding online health information behaviors during a pandemic.
- Psychological factors like fear and cognitive states like information insufficiency significantly influence information-seeking and avoidance.
- While information seeking remained stable, underlying RISP constructs showed dynamic changes over time.
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