The influence of affective cues on positive emotion in predicting instant information sharing on microblogs: Gender as a moderator

Abstract

Instant information sharing on microblogs is important for promoting social awareness, influencing customer attitudes, and providing political and economic benefits. However, research on the antecedents and mechanisms of such instant information sharing is limited. To address that issue, this study develops a research model to investigate the factors (affective cues in particular) that drive users to instantly share information on microblogs and explores the moderating role of gender. An online survey was conducted on a microblogging platform to collect data for testing the proposed research model and hypotheses. The results confirm the positive effects of informational (i.e., information uniqueness), ambient (i.e., information crowding), and social (i.e., social interactivity) cues on individuals’ positive emotion, which subsequently promotes their urge to share information on microblogs. Moreover, the moderating effects of gender are identified. This study contributes to the understanding of instant information sharing from an impulsive behavior perspective. The results also provide important insights for service providers and practitioners who wish to promote instant information sharing on microblogs.