Key factors in social media information dissemination during disasters: A signaling theory perspective

Exploring the key factors affecting social media information dissemination during disasters can contribute to disaster management. On the basis of signaling theory, this study examines the impact of information source, location, amount, and appeal on public sentiment and information dissemination behaviors during disasters. It also analyzes how public sentiment influences information dissemination behaviors. By assessing a dataset of 2683 Weibo posts related to the 2023 Beijing flood, we found that all factors significantly influenced public sentiment and information dissemination behaviors, and official source increased reposts by 8.5%. Results support negativity bias theory, indicating that posts with negative sentiment attract considerable reposts. This study complements previous research on crisis communication by incorporating signaling theory into characteristic analysis from the perspectives of signal sender, signal, and signal receiver.