Competition and Information Deception in Online Social Networks
ABSTRACT This study empirically examines the role of competition in determining intentions toward personal information deception (PID) among users of online social network (OSN) sites. PID refers to OSN users intentionally misrepresenting or refusing to disclose online personal information. The research proposes that consumers’ intentions toward PID depend on their desire for online competition with other OSN users, which in turn depends on user appraisals of available status and hedonic benefits, as well as established social norms around competition. An analysis of data gathered from 499 OSN participants (students enrolled at a state university in the southeastern United States) shows that competitive desires represent an important antecedent of PID behavior in OSN contexts. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are also discussed.