Understanding the impact of information sources on COVID-19 related preventive measures in Finland

Farooq, Ali and Laato, Samuli and Islam, A.K.M. Najmul and Isoaho, Jouni (2021) Understanding the impact of information sources on COVID-19 related preventive measures in Finland. Technology in Society, 65. 101573. ISSN 0160-791X (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101573)

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the influence of information reporting on human behavior, as people were forced to quickly adapt to a new health threatening situation by relying on new information. Drawing from protection-motivation and cognitive load theories, we formulated a structural model eliciting the impact of the three online information sources: (1) social media, (2) official websites, and (3) other online news sources; on motivation to adopt recommended COVID-19 preventive measures. The model was tested with the data collected from university employees and students (n = 225) in March 2020 through an online survey and analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). We observed that social media and other online news sources increased information overload amongst the online information sources. This, in turn, negatively affected individuals' self-isolation intention by increasing perceived response costs and decreasing response efficacy. The study highlights the role of online information sources on preventive behaviors during pandemics.

ORCID iDs

Farooq, Ali ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4864-3155, Laato, Samuli, Islam, A.K.M. Najmul and Isoaho, Jouni;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)