When Experts Offer Conflicting Information: A Study of Perceived Ambiguity, Information Insufficiency, Trustworthiness and Risk Information Behaviors

Jisoo Ahn · Lee Ann Kahlor

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Communication and COVID-19 Impact Public Relations and Crisis Communication Risk Perception and Management

Abstract

This study conducted an experiment to examine the impact of informational conflicts about COVID-19 transmission routes on cognitive and behavioral factors. We were guided by the risk information seeking and processing model and focused on relationships among perceived ambiguity, information insufficiency, trustworthiness, and seeking/avoidance across several conditions. Data from 304 participants indicated a higher level of perceived ambiguity in the conflicting information condition compared to the one-sided information condition. The serial mediations suggest conflicting information enhanced perceived ambiguity, which was negatively related with trustworthiness of experts, information seeking, and adherence intentions. These findings shed light on how conflicting information negatively affects the decision-making process and provide insight about what to consider when presenting dynamic information to the public.

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1961Risk, Ambiguity, and the Savage Axioms 2001Communication and Uncertainty Management 1999Proposed Model of the Relationship of Risk Information Seeking and Processing to the Development of Preventive Behaviors 1995Social Trust: Toward a Cosmopolitan Society 1999Science in public: communication, culture, and credibility 2011Problem Solving and Communicative Action: A Situational Theory of Problem Solving 2015Measuring Laypeople’s Trust in Experts in a Digital Age: The Muenster Epistemic Trustworthiness Inventory (METI)2012What, Me Worry? The Role of Affect in Information Seeking and Avoidance

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