SNS Adoption for Consumer Active Information Search (AIS) - the Dyadic Role of Information Credibility

Social network sites are used by consumers to search for information before making purchase decisions. While most research has investigated what motivates consumers to share their experiences with others and its effect on consumer behavior, the current study focuses on consumer active information search (AIS), that is, explicit consumer requests for information on SNS. This study integrates information credibility with a modified and customized UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology2) to explain the consumer use of SNS for active information search. Data were collected using a representative sample of 729 Facebook users and was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results provide support for the extended UTAUT2 model and confirm its robustness in predicting consumer intention to adopt SNS as a vehicle for AIS. Moreover, the research emphasizes the centrality of information credibility and its dyadic role as an antecedent and a moderator in the adoption process.