Diffusion of Covid-19 Misinformation: Mechanisms for Threat- and Efficacy-Related Misinformation Diffusion

Health-related misinformation diffused online largely comprise of threat- and efficacy-related information but the potential difference in the way they are diffused has not been examined extensively. This research examined if and how COVID-19 misinformation conveying threat is diffused more actively than the ones concerning efficacy of protective actions. In doing so,we operationalized diffusion in terms of both exposure and retransmission and tested the mediating capacities of the three key drivers of information diffusion– novelty, emotional arousal, and message credibility– in this dynamic. Results of multilevel analyses of an online survey data (N = 1,012) employing a national quota sample in South Korea showed that threat-related misinformation was diffused more than efficacy-related ones. We further probed into the observed effects by testing multilevel mediational models specifying the three key drivers as mediators. The models indicated that the effects of threat-related misinformation on information sharing were partly explained by greater perceptions of novelty and emotional arousal. Message credibility, however, mediated the effects on sharing intention but not actual sharing behavior, suggesting that the latter may be influenced more by arousal-based responses (e.g., emotional arousal) than sound reasoning (e.g., message credibility). Implications on interventions aiming at curbing health misinformation diffusion are discussed.