Affective Trust and Social Media Literacy as Predictors of News Credibility Perception among University Students in China
Keywords:
Trust, Social Media Literacy, News Credibility Perception, Students in ChinaAbstract
In the digital era, social media has become a powerful tool in higher education, influencing students' engagement with news and their ability to assess its credibility. This study aims to (1) identify key components of social media literacy, affective trust, and news credibility perception; (2) examine the predictive relationships among these variables; and (3) analyze the mediating role of affective trust between social media literacy and news perception. A mixed-methods design was employed.
The quantitative phase involved 375 international university students in China, using a structured questionnaire analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The qualitative phase used semi-structured interviews with 20 students, analyzed thematically via NVivo. Findings revealed that social media literacy significantly predicted affective trust (β = 0.61, p < .001), and both variables had significant positive effects on perceived news credibility (β = 0.65 and β = 0.59, respectively; p < .001). Affective trust partially mediated the relationship between social media literacy and news credibility (indirect effect = 0.043, 95% CI [.034, .040]). The model showed good fit indices (χ²/df = 2.582, TLI = 0.926). Demographic variables—gender (r = .67**), age (r = .67**), and education level (r = .57**)—were positively correlated with trust and news perception. Qualitative findings further emphasized emotional elements such as empathy, consistency, and platform trustworthiness as crucial factors influencing how students assess online news. These results underscore the importance of integrating emotional and cognitive dimensions into media literacy education. Strengthening affective trust and digital competence may enhance students’ critical engagement with online information in academic settings.
References
Cheng, Y., & Shipman, M. (2020). Digital misinformation and the emotional basis of trust in news media: A study of Chinese social platforms. Journal of Media Literacy Research, 15(3), 112–128.
Flanagin, A. J., & Metzger, M. J. (2020). Perceptions of credibility in online news: A dual processing framework. Digital Journalism, 8(2), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1685593
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Groshek, J., & Cutino, C. (2020). Social media, political polarization, and trust: A comparative study. Communication Research Reports, 37(3), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2020.1786635
Hatamleh, M., Al-Rawashdeh, A., & Khlaifat, A. (2023). Trust and social media engagement in academic environments: Moderating effects and cultural implications. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00394-9
Islam, M. S., Lakhani, A., & Park, M. (2023). Affective trust and misinformation on social platforms: Digital competencies as mediators. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 28(2), 192–214. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmab023
Karlsen, R., & Aalberg, T. (2023). Facebook and news credibility: The emotional dynamics of misinformation. Digital Journalism, 11(1), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2085790
Kim, H., & Dennis, A. R. (2019). Says who? The effects of presentation format and source rating on fake news in social media. MIS Quarterly, 43(3), 1025–1039. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2019/14433
Kim, J., Park, S., & Zhang, X. (2020). Political bias and algorithmic manipulation on social media: The emotional side of fake news. New Media & Society, 22(9), 1571–1590. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819888742
Lee, C., & Lindsey, N. (2017). Education and digital literacy: Evaluating credibility in online news. Media Psychology, 20(3), 433–456.https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2017.1302344
Li, Y., & Liu, Q. (2021). TikTok for education? Investigating digital media practices in Chinese universities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(1), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1774562
Liu, J. (2020). Social media literacy as a key skill in the post-truth era. Media and Communication Studies, 8(2), 120–137. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v8i2.2751
Park, M., Islam, M. S., & Cheng, Y. (2022). Emotion and credibility in the age of misinformation: Affective trust on social media. Information, Communication & Society, 25(8), 1129–1147. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2021.1919665
Wang, Zichen, Kanyamon Kanchanathaveekul, and Tanapol Kortana. (2021). “Thailand Consumer’s Response to Social Media Marketing of Chinese Consumer Electronics Products.” Tobacco Regulatory Science 7.6 (2021): 6627-6638.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Zhao, X., Zhang, J., & Wang, H. (2021). University branding through social media: A comparative study in China. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(2), 254–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2021.1907813
Zhang, W., Sun, L., & Zhou, R. (2022). Trust in Chinese digital ecosystems: A study of WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin. Chinese Journal of Communication, 15(1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2021.1971422
