Work

Web Third-Person Effect Hypothesis: Do likes and Shares Affect Users’ Perceptions?

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: This paper studies the web third-person effect (WTPE) hypothesis in the context of news websites and social media.Specifically, the study examines the role of social media metrics (i.e., shares and likes of news articles) in shaping users' opinion about the websites.Users' news sharing intention in social media is also investigated.Based on a structured online questionnaire (N = 7,404), the results confirm that WTPE can be found in social media metrics without the presence of specific message content.It should be noted that the effect was found at three perceptual levels, self, friends, and other users.Regarding intention for news sharing, text was indicated as the most important reason among Internet users.Finally, the work demonstrates significant correlations between WTPE and article characteristics that influence people's attitudes to share news online.

Source: Journalism and mass communication

DOI: 10.17265/2160-6579/2016.12.001

Authors: Nikos Antonopoulos, Dimitrios Giomelakis, Andreas Veglis, Antonis Gardikiotis, Charalampos A. Dimoulas

Institution: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Language: English

Topic: Media Studies and Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W2600544634

FWCI: 3.768

Cites: 60

Cited by: 11

Related to: 10