Direct Denial or Positive-Negative Rumor Rebuttal? The Effects of Two Types of Rumor Rebuttal and Their Psychological Mechanisms

This study used a single-factor online experiment to explore the effect of the presentation of rumor rebuttal information (direct rebuttal vs. positive-negative rebuttal) on rumor credibility, and the role of emotion and depth of information processing in this process. The findings revealed that direct rebuttal significantly reduced rumor credibility to subjects when compared to no rebuttal, while no significant effect was found in positive-negative rebuttal. In addition, positive emotions, negative emotions, and the depth of information processing triggered by rumors partially mediated the effect of direct rebuttal on rumor credibility. This suggests that the method of rebuttal can significantly influence people's perceptions of rumors, and that direct denial may be more effective than rebuttal through detailed explanations containing both positive and negative information, which is practically valuable for effective rebuttals in social governance.