The Impact of User Reviews on Older and Younger Adults ’ Attitude towards Online Medication Information

A laboratory study was conducted to explore whether the presence of online user reviews, specifically its interaction with the credibility of information on the Website, has differential impact on younger and older adults ’ attitude towards medication information on the Internet. Results showed that while there was age difference in how message contents on the Web page influenced credibility judgments, the presence of user reviews moderated the age difference. Specifically, we found that: 1) when credibility cues in user reviews were consistent with the credibility cues in Web page contents, older adults ’ attitude towards the medication was reinforced more than younger adults, and 2) when the credibility cues in user reviews were inconsistent with the credibility cues in Web page contents, older adults were less sensitive to the influence of user reviews. Especially when highly positive user reviews were given to a seemingly noncredible medication, older adults were less likely to be swayed by user reviews. Possible causes of this age difference in the effects of user reviews were discussed

Effects of Aging and Individual Differences on Credibility Judgment of Online Health Information

We investigated the effects of aging and individual differences on credibility judgment of online health information. Analysis of credibility judgment ratings revealed that older adults were less influenced by argument strength in content messages and contextual Website features than younger adults. Verbal protocol analysis revealed that older adults tended to accept the facts they read on the Web page instead of further deliberating on their credibility. They also tended to pay less attention to contextual Website features relevant to the credibility of the information. We also found that older adults ’ lower sensitivity to credibility cues on a Web page could at least be partially explained by their declined cognitive ability and lack of Internet experience. On the other hand, health-related domain knowledge was found to be useful in helping older adults to make better credibility judgments