To share or not to share - The underlying motives of sharing fake news amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

This study investigates the underlying motives for online fake news sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented time that witnessed a spike in the spread of false content. Motives were identified based on a fake news sharing model developed using the SocioCultural-Psychological-Technology (SCulPT) model, Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and further extended using fake news predictors/gratifications from past studies. A self-administered survey resulted in 869 online Malaysian respondents aged between 18 and 59 years old (Mean = 22.6, Standard deviation = 6.13). Structured equation modelling revealed the fake news sharing model to collectively account for 49.2 % of the variance, with Altruism (13 = 0.333; p < 0.001), Ignorance (13 = 0.165; p < 0.001) and Entertainment (13 = 0.139; p < 0.001) significantly predicting the behaviour. Conversely, Availability/Effort, Pass Time and Fear of Missing Out were found to be insignificant. Our findings indicate that fake news sharing behavior is determined by different motives, hence these need to be understood in order to develop better solutions to mitigate this problem.

Automated summary

This study investigated the underlying motives for online fake news sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic using a model developed from SCulPT model, Uses and Gratification theory, and Self-Determination Theory. Findings revealed that fake news sharing behavior is influenced by different motives, highlighting the need to understand these motives for better solutions to mitigate the issue.