Citation

Lu, Xiaoshuang and Balakrishnan, Kavitha and Chan, Tak Jie and Na, Meng (2025) The Role of Real‐Time Engagement in Shaping Social Media Check‐In Behavior: Moderating Effects of Trust and Peer Influence. Brain and Behavior, 15 (9). ISSN 2162-3279

Text The Role of Real‐Time Engagement in Shaping Social Media Check‐In Behavior_ Moderating Effects of Trust and Peer Influence.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB)

Abstract

Social media platforms have reached a transformative stage, blending traditional digital interactions with real-time engagement features to foster user participation and connectivity. As real-time engagement mechanisms such as interactive communication, personalized feedback, and dynamic content recommendations become integral, they significantly shape users’ digital behaviors, including venue check-ins. Drawing upon Trust Theory, Social Influence Theory, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), this study investigates how real-time engagement factors influence users’ check-in behavior on social media, emphasizing perceived credibility as a mediating factor and exploring the moderating roles of Trust in Platforms and peer influence (PI). Using survey data collected from 500 active social media users in China, analyzed through structural equation modeling, this research identifies significant pathways by which personal trust anchors (PTAs), information density value (IDV), and peer consensus dynamics (PCDs) collectively affect check-in decisions. The findings reveal that trust significantly facilitates the translation of engagement into immediate actions, whereas PI and perceived information authenticity enhance credibility perceptions under conditions of real-time interaction. This research advances the literature by integrating previously isolated constructs—trust, information quality, and peer validation—to present a comprehensive understanding of real-time engagement’s role in digital participation. Practically, the study provides strategic insights for social media marketers and platform developers, emphasizing the critical balance of interactivity, trust mechanisms, and social validation to optimize user engagement within real-time digital ecosystems

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Information credibility
Subjects:	Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > ZA3038-5190 Information resources (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Applied Communication (FAC)
Depositing User:	Ms Rosnani Abd Wahab
Date Deposited:	30 Sep 2025 09:03
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2025 16:40
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/14623

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