Effects of risk perception factors on misinformation engagement of social media users during the public health crisis and the moderating effect of personality traits

Purpose Rampant misinformation on social media leads to a crisis of public confidence, which can hinder the implementation of management measures during a crisis. Adapting the Theoretical Multidimensional Model of Risk Perception (TMMRP) and incorporating the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality, this study explores how misinformation receivers’ risk perception and personality traits influence their misinformation engagement behaviors during public health crises. Design/methodology/approach Participants were sampled from Sina Weibo (N = 1,398), one of the most influential social network platforms in China. Multinomial logistic regression models were adopted to examine the direct effect and the moderation model. Findings Results indicated that the degree of concern significantly impacts misinformation forwarding and commenting. Perceived severity is correlated with misinformation forwarding, commenting, liking and multiple engagement. Furthermore, we found statistically significant moderating effects of conscientiousness and extraversion traits on the impact of concern or perceived dread on different misinformation engagement behaviors. Originality/value This study is unique in (1) looking at different types of misinformation engagement behaviors (i.e. forwarding, commenting, liking), (2) examining interactive effects of risk perception and personality traits on misinformation engagement behaviors, (3) utilizing digital trace data on social media to measure individual’s risk perception and personality traits. The findings of this study can help researchers identify the vulnerable population using real-world data from social media and help emergency managers formulate targeting interventions to prevent the spread of misinformation during the public health crisis.