Unpacking public resistance to health Chatbots: a parallel mediation analysis.

Introduction: Despite the numerous potential benefits of health chatbots for personal health management, a substantial proportion of people oppose the use of such software applications. Building on the innovation resistance theory (IRT) and the prototype willingness model (PWM), this study investigated the functional barriers, psychological barriers, and negative prototype perception antecedents of individuals' resistance to health chatbots, as well as the rational and irrational psychological mechanisms underlying their linkages. Methods: Data from 398 participants were used to construct a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Results: Resistance intention mediated the relationship between functional barriers, psychological barriers, and resistance behavioral tendency, respectively. Furthermore, The relationship between negative prototype perceptions and resistance behavioral tendency was mediated by resistance intention and resistance willingness. Moreover, negative prototype perceptions were a more effective predictor of resistance behavioral tendency through resistance willingness than functional and psychological barriers. Discussion: By investigating the role of irrational factors in health chatbot resistance, this study expands the scope of the IRT to explain the psychological mechanisms underlying individuals' resistance to health chatbots. Interventions to address people's resistance to health chatbots are discussed.

Does Quality of Life Act as a Protective Factor against Believing Health Rumors? Evidence from a National Cross-Sectional Survey in China.

A high quality of life (QoL), an individual's subjective assessment of overall life condition, has been shown to have a protective effect against negative behaviors. However, whether QoL protects people from the harmful impact of health rumors is still unknown. In this study, a national survey in China (n = 3633) was conducted to explore the relationship between health rumor belief (HRB) and QoL, which includes physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. The results show that people with a poor perception of their physical health are more likely to believe health rumors. Additionally, those who had better self-reported satisfaction in social relationships were more susceptible to health rumors. Furthermore, women and older adults showed a greater belief in health rumors. This study expands upon our understanding of how people with different QoL levels interact with false health-related information. Based on health-rumor-susceptible groups, several essential online and offline strategies to govern health rumors are also proposed.

Does Science Literacy Guarantee Resistance to Health Rumors? The Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy of Science Literacy in the Relationship between Science Literacy and Rumor Belief.

Health rumors not only incite unnecessary fears and skepticism, but may also cause individuals to refuse effective remedy and thus delay their treatment. Studies have found that health literacy may help the public identify the falsity of health rumors and avoid their negative impact. However, whether other types of literacy work in helping people disbelieve health rumors is still unknown. With a national survey in China (N = 1646), our study examined the effect of science literacy on rumor belief and further analyzed the moderating role of self-efficacy of science literacy in their relationship. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that science literacy significantly decreased the likelihood of people believing in health rumors, and moderator analysis showed that self-efficacy of science literacy plays a moderating role in this relationship; such that the relationship between science literacy and health rumor belief would be weakened if one's self-efficacy of science literacy was low. This finding reveals that during campaigns to combat health rumors, improving and enhancing the self-efficacy of people's science literacy is an effective way to prevent them from believing in health rumors. Our study highlights the benefits of science education in public health and the improvement of public science literacy.