The effects of social media fatigue and attitudinal ambivalence on intermittent discontinuance behavior

Purpose To alleviate social media fatigue and minimize intermittent discontinuance behavior, the purpose of this study is to investigate attitudinal ambivalence by examining users’ cognitive experiences from both positive and negative dimensions. A strategy of positive guidance and negative inhibition is adopted to reduce intermittent discontinuance behavior. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from cognition-affection-conation theory, this study explores the intricate interactions and mechanisms among social media fatigue, attitudinal ambivalence and intermittent discontinuance behavior. The authors propose six factors that may affect usage and transfer fatigue, then collect behavioral and attitudinal data from Weibo users via questionnaires. They use structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to conduct the data analysis. Findings The results of SEM reveal that needs gratification, social presence and affective commitment significantly affect transfer fatigue. Perceived overload, social comparison and privacy concerns significantly affect usage fatigue. Attitudinal ambivalence, influenced by both transfer fatigue and usage fatigue, significantly predicts intermittent discontinuance behavior. The findings from fsQCA suggest that perceived overload and attitudinal ambivalence are the common core conditions of the three configurations. Combining SEM and fsQCA results, it is found that users’ negative experience has the greatest impact on intermittent discontinuance behavior. Originality/value This study enhances our comprehension of intermittent discontinuance behavior within particular contexts, providing invaluable insights to inform and guide future research in this field. These findings provide theoretical support for further optimizing social media platforms and are expected to serve as a reference for reducing intermittent discontinuance behavior among social media users.