Exploring the Acceptance of Rumor Rebuttals: The Mediating Influence of Utilitarian and Hedonic Values

Abstract

This research examines the mediating roles of perceived utilitarian and hedonic values in the relations between users’ perceptions of rebuttals and their decisions to accept the debunking messages in combatting online rumors. For the purpose of this investigation, four mediation models, each comprised of two hypotheses, were proposed and tested with data collected from 305 participants. Parallel mediation analysis was performed on each model to test the proposed hypotheses. Results show that users’ perceptions of rebuttals were significantly associated with their decisions to accept the debunking messages in combatting online rumors. While both perceived utilitarian and hedonic values mediated the relations between users’ perceptions of rebuttals and their decisionmaking, the mediating role of the former was stronger than the latter. This research offers insights into the underlying process of how both values impact users’ decisions to accept rebuttals as the truth. It helps practitioners understand how users perceive and process rebuttals when dealing with online rumors.