Information avoidance during health crises: Predictors of avoiding information about the COVID-19 pandemic among german news consumers

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of source-specific information avoidance among German consumers and predictors of information-avoidance behavior in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP), we propose that the perceived social norms, information insufficiency, risk perception, affective risk response, and attitudes toward seeking predict information avoidance. We supplement the RISP model by considering information overload as the vast volume and the incredulous quality of information in the COVID-19 pandemic challenge individuals’ information acquisition and processing. Using a stratified demographic sample of news consumers of a federal German state (N = 1,000), we empirically examined the proposed model, answered the research question, and tested our hypotheses using structural equation modeling. The results reveal information avoidance among one-third of the respondents. They avoided online sources, including online-mediated interpersonal sources, more often than interpersonal sources and traditional mass media. Information avoidance was linked to more negative attitudes toward seeking and negative affective risk responses, more pronounced descriptive and injunctive avoidance norms, and perceived information overload. Attitudes and information overload were the most influential predictors of avoidance. In contrast, risk perception and information insufficiency were not associated with information avoidance. This study provides insights into theory development, contributes to the information behavior literature, and identifies barriers to communication during health crises.

Impact of Social Media, Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) on the Intention to Stay at Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A strong threat impression combined with a low efficacy belief might result in a maladaptive denial of protective action [142]. Defensive avoidance implies resistance aimed at reducing the threat [143], including suppressing thinking of the message, and reactions will emerge [94]. The reaction emerges from a perceived lack of controllability, whereby individuals feel they have no control over the outcome, doubt the effectiveness of protective measures, and are therefore prone to pessimism [37,144].…”

“…Commonly, individuals will strive to circumvent being consumed by extreme fear and maintain their health by avoiding the information [143]. However, in cases of a global health crisis covered by the worldwide media and news flowing from every available channel, where avoidance is not an option, the next best step is downplaying the threat.…”

Explaining education-based difference in systematic processing of COVID-19 information: Insights into global recovery from infodemic

“…Nevertheless, other information behaviors outlined in the model (e.g., information processing and information avoidance) has received limited attention. To echo the call for extending the seeking-oriented research to a broader category of people's risk information behaviors ( Ford et al, 2022 ; Link, 2021 ; X. Zhou et al, 2021 ), this study is one of the few studies guided by the RISP model to explore systematic processing ( Lu et al, 2021 ; J.…”

What Causes Health Information Avoidance Behavior under Normalized COVID-19 Pandemic? A Research from Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

“…As a result, mobile health and mobile medical services have become hotspots among scholars worldwide [ 59 ]. Websites and social media were the most frequently avoided sources of information in a study of predictors of information-avoidance behavior of German news consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 60 ].…”