Celebrity Credibility on Social Media: A Conditional Process Analysis of Online Self Disclosure Attitude as a Moderator of Posting Frequency and Parasocial Interaction
This study investigated factors predicting perception of celebrity credibility on social networking sites. Specifically, we evaluated a theoretical model whereby parasocial interaction mediates the association between posting frequency and credibility, with online self disclosure attitude moderating these associations. Results supported this mediation, with the indirect effects for group and personal identification (but not interest or problem solving ability) contingent on the user's online self disclosure attitude. Among other implications, findings suggest different forms of PSI may function differently vis a vis credibility, as well as commend future investigation of attitudinal variables that may moderate perception of online messages.