Mediating Effects of Perceived Risk and Usefulness between Online Information Credibility and Intention to Use

Using the theory of attribution, this study investigates the determinants if controllability and explores underlying dimensions of online information credibility, and then investigates if the credibility of online information influences the users’ intention to use the online information for evaluating or judging the involved products. Moreover, as a research attempt to investigate the impacts of online information credibility, this study examines whether the main effect of perceived online information credibility on the intention of using online information to make a decision of purchase is mediated by both perceived risk and perceived usefulness. A total of 287 survey forms were collected from online consumers. We examined reliability by exploring internal consistency of the multiple item scales in the overall sample. Convergent and discriminant validity were also examined for evidence of construct validity. Then, PLS technique was employed to test the research model. As a result of analyzing data from a dataset of 287 responses via PLS technique, it is found that (1) both sources (controllability and stability) of perceived credibility are significantly associated with both perceived risk and perceived usefulness, and (2) perceived risk as well as perceived usefulness partially mediate the link between the two sources of credibility and intention to use. The findings of this study also suggest that the two dimensions of online information credibility influence information recipient’s intention to use. Moreover, the online information including descriptions about controllability and stability can trigger potential consumers to perceive risk about consumption of the informed products and services. Therefore, providing online information with highly described controllability and stability can increase not only the credibility of the online information itself, but also the intention to use the online information through perceived risk and usefulness.