New Insights Into the Social Rumor Characteristics During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Abstract

BackgroundIn the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, several social rumors in the form of false news, conspiracy theories, and magical cures had ever been shared and spread among the general public at an alarming rate, causing public panic and increasing the complexity and difficulty of social management. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the characteristics and the driving factors of the social rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsBased on a sample of 1,537 rumors collected from Sina Weibo's debunking account, this paper first divided the sample into four categories and calculated the risk level of all kinds of rumors. Then, time evolution analysis and correlation analysis were adopted to study the time evolution characteristics and the spatial and temporal correlation characteristics of the rumors, and the four stages of development were also divided according to the number of rumors. Besides, to extract the key driving factors from 15 rumor-driving factors, the social network analysis method was used to investigate the driver-driver 1-mode network characteristics, the generation driver-rumor 2-mode network characteristics, and the spreading driver-rumor 2-mode characteristics.ResultsResearch findings showed that the number of rumors related to COVID-19 were gradually decreased as the outbreak was brought under control, which proved the importance of epidemic prevention and control to maintain social stability. Combining the number and risk perception levels of the four types of rumors, it could be concluded that the Creating Panic-type rumors were the most harmful to society. The results of rumor drivers indicated that panic psychology and the lag in releasing government information played an essential role in driving the generation and spread of rumors. The public's low scientific literacy and difficulty in discerning highly confusing rumors encouraged them to participate in spreading rumors.ConclusionThe study revealed the mechanism of rumors. In addition, studies involving rumors on different emergencies and social platforms are warranted to enrich the findings.

How can the collaborative participation of regulators, whistleblowers, and parties effectively promote rumor management in public health emergencies?

“…As unverified information is iteratively presented and propagated, initially dubious rumors may progressively gain credibility during dissemination, leading to an amplification of risks and rendering individuals susceptible to the sway of collective emotions. This phenomenon exacerbates conflicts within the context of public health incidents ( 8 ), with panic-mongering rumors being the most socially damaging ( 9 ). Therefore, the governance of rumors is of great concern in all countries and regions and is an important area of social governance.…”

Online rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic: co-evolution of themes and emotions

“…Negative rumors tend to evoke extreme emotions among internet users, while positive rumors embody the public’s optimistic outlook for the future ( 38 ). Negative rumors exhibit a functional characteristic, implying their negative intent, containing imprecise negative information directed toward individuals, society, or the nation ( 39 ). Neutral rumors emphasize adopting a neutral stance toward rumors, aiming to present standardized statements, plain text, and complete characterizations ( 40 ).…”

How Does Psychological Distance Influence Public Risky Behavior During Public Health Emergencies

“…This paper mainly conducts empirical research on the public boycott epidemic prevention and control behaviors under public health emergencies, enriching the research content of previous public risky behaviors. Currently, empirical studies have been conducted on risky behaviors such as panic buying behaviors, 22 illegal and criminal behaviors, [23][24][25] selfdestructive behaviors, and unhealthy behaviors during public health emergencies. 6,7 However, empirical studies on boycott epidemic prevention and control behaviors under public health emergencies are still relatively scarce.…”

“…By further reviewing the literature, firstly, we found that empirical studies on public risky behaviors during public health emergencies mainly focuses on panic buying behaviors (such as masks, alcohol, antiviral drugs, vegetables, and fruits), 22 illegal and criminal behaviors (such as assault, battery, theft, property crime, fraud, drug crimes, extortion, and homicides), 23–25 self-destructive behaviors (such as excessive drinking, self-harm, and commit suicide), 6 , 26 and unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, sedentary, and a decline in daily physical activity), 7 while empirical studies on boycott epidemic prevention and control behaviors of the public are relatively scarce. 27 Secondly, we found that few studies have explored the effect of psychological distance on public risky behavior under public health emergencies, but most of them have examined the effect of psychological distance on public protection/prevention behavior.…”