Effects of Information Overload on Hostile Behaviors Online

Abstract

Although there have been lots of studies about users’ behaviors online, few have explored the mechanism of hostile behaviors. In this sense, this study aims at discovering what may elevate users’ hostile behaviors. More specifically, we tried to find the relationship between flaming behavior and perception factors such as perceived risk, anonymity and expected emotional reaction. <br>A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship of the above variables. As a result, all these variables show significant effects on flaming, and information overload are found to act as a moderator. We carefully conclude that flaming in online community can be reduced by preventing information overload each user perceives.