Abstract

In this article, I will evaluate the influence of general social curiosity and covert social curiosity on real-time ridesharing services (RTRSS) usage by drawing from the uses and gratifications theory (U&G). After collecting 69 online questionnaires and applying a structural equation modeling approach, I confirmed that people’s covert social curiosity is a positive predictor of RTRSS usage. In contrast, I could not confirm the influence of general social curiosity on RTRSS usage. I will discuss the practical implications of my findings for both car drivers and service providers, and also offer a U&G-based explanation for the insignificance of the relationship between general social curiosity and RTRSS usage.

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The Influence of Social Curiosity on Real-Time Ridesharing Service Usage

In this article, I will evaluate the influence of general social curiosity and covert social curiosity on real-time ridesharing services (RTRSS) usage by drawing from the uses and gratifications theory (U&G). After collecting 69 online questionnaires and applying a structural equation modeling approach, I confirmed that people’s covert social curiosity is a positive predictor of RTRSS usage. In contrast, I could not confirm the influence of general social curiosity on RTRSS usage. I will discuss the practical implications of my findings for both car drivers and service providers, and also offer a U&G-based explanation for the insignificance of the relationship between general social curiosity and RTRSS usage.