Credibility Heuristics in Fashion Blogs: Testing the Effects of Authority, Bandwagon and Community on Persuasion
Open Access
Author:
Sherony, Nia Marie
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in Advertising and Public Relations and Information Sciences and Technology
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
S. Shyam Sundar, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Susan Mary Strohm, Thesis Honors Advisor Erika S Poole, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
persuasion main model bandwagon heuristic authority heuristic community weblog blogosphere
Abstract:
Twenty years after the original weblog, stories of independent bloggers making a viable income from their influential blogs are not uncommon. Prior studies have hinted at a link between bloggers’ influence and their perceived credibility, but what types of associations make some bloggers seem more credible than others? High-authority brand sponsors? The size of their following? Their blogging community as indicated by a blogroll? We presented participants with these cues in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment to understand how cognitive heuristics play into credibility assessments of fashion bloggers. We found that having more followers leads not only to higher perceptions of trustworthiness and a sense that the blogger is part of a well-knit community, but also enhances the positive halo around the brand of the blog’s sponsor. The presence of a blogroll resulted in negative perceptions of trustworthiness. Mediation analyses revealed that trustworthiness mediates the relationships between number of followers and purchase intent, as well as blogroll presence and purchase intent. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
