The Impact of Gratifications on Fake News Sharing Among Chinese Social Media Users and Its Mechanisms

Le résumé fourni par la source

The literature pays little attention to the impact of gratifications on fake news sharing among Chinese social media users, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is rarely used in fake news research. This study investigated the relationship between gratifications and fake news sharing among Chinese users. Study 1 employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fsQCA on the questionnaire data from 315 participants. Study 2 analyzed predictions of self-reported sharing intentions in task scenarios using data from 98 new participants. The PLS-SEM revealed that instant news sharing was positively predicted by time-passing, entertainment, and socializing gratifications; and negatively predicted by information seeking. Fake news sharing is positively predicted by instant news sharing and negatively predicted by fact-checking. The fsQCA revealed three distinct antecedent configurations leading to high sharing among users, demonstrating that sharing is driven by diverse, equifinal pathways rather than a single set of common characteristics. Study 2 confirmed that self-reported sharing intention predicts sharing intention in task scenarios. Gratifications influence users' fake news sharing through instant sharing and fact-checking, and three configurations prompt users to share fake news. These findings promote the cultural richness of the fake news-sharing research and offer practical implications.

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