Peer Influence, Risk Propensity and Fear of Missing Out in Sharing Misinformation on Social Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Widespread misinformation on social media is high, and this is made worse during a public health crisis. While literature on technological solutions to combat misinformation abounds, limited studies have investigated the psychology behind why misinformation is in rapid diffusion in this digital platform. Using a sample of 209 students, we tested the relationships of peer influence, risk propensity and fear of missing out on the behavioral intention to share misinformation on Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the results supported prior literature that peer influence and fear of missing out has a positive influence on the behavioral intention to share misinformation on social media. While risk propensity has a positive influence on sharing misinformation, this cannot be supported at a significant level. We conclude this paper by discussing the implications of our study to academic policies on formal and informal disaster education while highlighting the limitations of the study to provide directions for future scholarly endeavors.