Role of Technological Affordances in Triggering Heuristics and Challenges in Estimating Their Influence

• In Event: Applications and Theoretical Perspectives on the Role of Cognitive Heuristics in Forming Online Credibility Judgments

Abstract

Researchers have long suspected that cognitive heuristics play a role in shaping perceived credibility of online content. These heuristics are thought to be triggered by source cues (e.g., attribution to an expert) or message cues (e.g., sensational headline). The MAIN Model (Sundar, 2008) argues that the technology of the medium can also convey cues that trigger heuristics related to content credibility. Particular affordances (or action possibilities), such as interactivity, of modern digital media serve to trigger heuristics via two mechanisms—(1) by their sheer presence on the user interface of the medium (e.g., a chat window); and (2) by assembling metrics that are displayed on the interface (e.g., number of other users visiting the site). This presentation will review research that attempts to demonstrate how technological affordances trigger heuristics and thereby shape user attitudes of content. It will also outline methodological challenges in empirically isolating the role played by heuristics.

Author

• S. Shyam Sundar, Pennsylvania State U and Sungkyunkwan Univ