Start Date
16-8-2018 12:00 AM
Description
This study investigates the influence of a conventional method of delivering news headlines, clickbait, on online users’ perceptions and responses. An experiment was conducted on two groups of news headlines—traditional news and clickbait—to provide empirical evidence of the effects of clickbait on online users. The findings suggest that clickbait headlines can evoke users’ arousal and curiosity. In addition, the results from structural equation modeling fill the gap in the literature by providing evidence of the factors influencing users’ intention to read and share online news. The results reveal that while the major determinant of users’ intention to read news stories is curiosity, perceived knowledge quality appears to be the main factor users consider when sharing online news stories.
Recommended Citation
Pengnate, Supavich (Fone); Young, Alex; and Chen, Jeffrey, "NEW DETAILS EMERGE! Revealing the Effects of Clickbait Headlines on User Responses" (2018). AMCIS 2018 Proceedings. 6.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2018/eBusiness/Presentations/6
NEW DETAILS EMERGE! Revealing the Effects of Clickbait Headlines on User Responses
This study investigates the influence of a conventional method of delivering news headlines, clickbait, on online users’ perceptions and responses. An experiment was conducted on two groups of news headlines—traditional news and clickbait—to provide empirical evidence of the effects of clickbait on online users. The findings suggest that clickbait headlines can evoke users’ arousal and curiosity. In addition, the results from structural equation modeling fill the gap in the literature by providing evidence of the factors influencing users’ intention to read and share online news. The results reveal that while the major determinant of users’ intention to read news stories is curiosity, perceived knowledge quality appears to be the main factor users consider when sharing online news stories.