Information-Sharing Behavior on WeChat Moments: The Role of Anonymity, Familiarity, and Intrinsic Motivation

Abstract

Information-sharing behavior is affected by identity recognition perception. The current study aims to delve into the impact of familiarity and anonymity on information-sharing behavior, and the mediating role of intrinsic motivations on WeChat Moments. We hypothesized a mediator role of intrinsic motivations in the relationship between an individual’s perceptions and information sharing. Based on the self-determination theory, a model was created and tested using a sample of 531 frequent users. In this study, these users were asked to use WeChat Moments, the most popular mobile private social networking site in China. The results demonstrate the significance of familiarity and identifiability in an interpersonal relationship, when using social networking sites. Moreover, the influence of perceived anonymity on information-sharing behavior, which is entirely mediated by intrinsic motivation has been validated from an empirical perspective. Our findings extend previous studies by showing the totally mediated effect of perceived anonymity on information-sharing behavior on WeChat Moments and the influential mechanism of intrinsic motivation. The results will inform researchers about the importance of incorporating the interpersonal structural features and intrinsic motivation of social networking sites into future studies on online information-sharing behavior. Important ways to promote attention and share information involve building a familiar relationship with communities and equipping oneself with off-line relations. Final indications for future developments are provided, with a special emphasis on the development of these findings in various social networking sites contexts.

Determinants of Privacy Protection Behavior in Social Networking Sites

“…Some identity information can be identified by at least their real name or their picture, while other things like blurred picture and nickname may only provide limited information about the user. At some point, the world of SNSs reveals users' real social identities and leads to a healthy exchange of content, whereas perceived anonymity of self-decreases the ability of users to share information [39]. The researcher has also found that a higher degree of perceived anonymity on SNSs means less need to reveal self [40].…”

Identifiability, Risk, and Information Credibility in Discussions on Moral/Ethical Violation Topics on Chinese Social Networking Sites

“…The results of participation affect public decision-making or governance behaviors. Researchers have studied the impact of cyber anonymity on self-disclosure and information sharing (Yoon and Rolland, 2012;Chen et al, 2016Chen et al, , 2019b.…”

Users’ Willingness to Share Health Information in a Social Question-and-Answer Community: Cross-sectional Survey in China (Preprint)

“…Social recognition such as respect and reputation are intrinsic rewards, whereas economic reward is an extrinsic reward. Researchers propose that intrinsic [21,22] and extrinsic rewards [23] are two of the main influencing factors in knowledge sharing. On these bases, we propose hypotheses 2 and 3:…”