Design Matters in Web Credibility Assessment: Interactive Design as a Social Validation Tool for Online Health Information Seekers

This study explored what makes users perceive a website as a credible source of health information and how web credibility assessment, in turn, influences their health information-seeking behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted with survey responses from college students (NN = 141) who assessed credibility markers of a website they normally visit to address health concerns. A 4-factor solution emerged as the best summary of the data: (a) content, (b) interaction design, (c) information design, and (d) source. Identified components were used in a linear model to explore the effects of different web credibility types on perceptual, attitudinal, and behavioral outcomes. Alongside content-related attributes (e.g., recency of the information), interaction design-related elements (e.g., ability to interact with other users) were significantly associated with most dependent variables examined in the study (e.g., trust in the information on the site, willingness to follow the advice, and willingness to recommend the site to others). Current results imply that users count on not only content-related cues or heuristics, but also interactive design features as helpful tools for mobilizing social resources (e.g., fellow users) to validate online health information. Theoretical and practical implications of the study findings and future research directions are discussed.