Fear for me or fear for others? How self-others threat asymmetry drives misinformation correction

Abstract

Purpose This study examines how perceived threats to oneself and to others jointly shape intentions to correct misinformation. Although prior research has largely examined these perceptions in isolation, it has paid limited attention to their combined effects on corrective behaviors. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates how self-others threat asymmetry-specifically, the congruence or incongruence between individuals' threat appraisals of themselves and others-across the dimensions of perceived vulnerability and severity influences corrective intentions, and further explores the mediating role of fear in this process. Design/methodology/approach A scenario-based online survey (N = 414) was conducted. Polynomial regression combined with response surface analysis was employed to model the three-dimensional relationship between the dual threat perceptions and corrective intentions. This approach provides a more rigorous assessment than traditional methods by capturing how simultaneous variations in self- and other-focused threat appraisals jointly influence behaviors. The mediating role of fear was examined using the block variable method. Findings The results indicate that threat incongruence significantly enhances corrective intentions, particularly when users perceive greater vulnerability or severity for themselves than for others. Under conditions of threat congruence, corrective intentions increase as the perceived threat levels for both self and others rise. Moreover, fear mediates the effect of vulnerability incongruence on misinformation correction, whereas this mediating effect is not observed for severity incongruence. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on perceived message effects by integrating dual threat dimensions with self-others asymmetry. Using a three-dimensional framework to examine how threat congruence and incongruence jointly shape corrective behaviors, it illuminates the distinct psychological mechanisms underlying risk assessments for oneself vs others. These findings offer a more nuanced understanding of how cognitive threat evaluations and emotional responses interact to motivate misinformation correction in online environments.