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Biased minds experience improved decision-making speed and confidence on social media: a heuristic approach

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Abstract

The presence of impatient customers is a common phenomenon in many contexts, especially in online shopping. How to catch customers and speed up their decision speed and confidence is vital to industry players. Numerous studies have demonstrated that travelers cherish credible information. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of social media information credibility on travelers’ decision speed and confidence under the mediating effects of heuristic information processing approach. The results revealed that heuristic approach mediated the relationship between information credibility and the various levels of subsequent perceived decision speed and confidence. On the basis of the findings, this study suggests that travelers’ perceived decision speed is more meaningful for consideration than their real decision time. Although heuristics are often associated with bias, this study proved that biased mind helped accelerate perceived decision speed and enhance decision confidence.

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  1. Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai, China

    Caiwei Ma

  2. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Norman Au

  3. Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Macau, China

    Lianping Ren

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  1. Caiwei Ma
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Ma, C., Au, N. & Ren, L. Biased minds experience improved decision-making speed and confidence on social media: a heuristic approach. Inf Technol Tourism 22, 593–624 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00184-0

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