How Heuristic Credibility Cues Shape Perceived Credibility on Social Media: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research

As the information environment evolves, social media has become the primary channel through which the public accesses and shares information, and perceived credibility has emerged as a critical influence on how users evaluate the credibility of information. Existing research suggests that heuristic credibility cues can enhance users’ perceived credibility, yet the findings remain inconsistent. Consequently, it is necessary for researchers to systematically examine whether heuristic credibility cues can effectively enhance perceived credibility. This study employed a meta-analysis to analyse 18 studies meeting the selection criteria, involving a total sample size of 14,188 participants. The aim was to assess the overall effect of social media heuristic credibility cues on perceived credibility and to explore the influence of potential moderating mechanisms on perceived credibility. The results indicate that manipulating source cues and social cues which serve as heuristic credibility cues on social media significantly increased perceived credibility (g = 0.307, p = 0.000). Effect sizes varied across moderating variables such as the type of heuristic credibility cue, participant type, method of measuring perceived credibility, experimental design, sample size, and year of publication. Among these, the type of heuristic cue and participant type as significant moderators, specifically, authoritative sources were more effective than other types of information sources in enhancing perceived credibility; the impact of different types of social cues on perceived credibility was also significant to varying degrees. Furthermore, student groups were more susceptible to the influence of heuristic credibility cues than non-student groups. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights for the design of information dissemination and the construction of perceived credibility on social media. It should be noted that, given the limited number of studies included in this meta-analysis and the restricted range of moderator variables, the above conclusions require further empirical research to be tested and confirmed.