The Influence of Information Appraisals and Information Behaviors on the Acceptance of Health Information: A Study of Television Medical Talk Shows in South Korea

As television medical talk shows have become an increasingly popular source of health information, it is important to understand the processes by which people come to accept, at times unconditionally, the information presented by these shows. Based on the heuristic-systematic model (HSM), this study explores the way by which individuals process health information from television medical talk shows. Specifically, this study examines the relationship between information exposure, information appraisals (e.g., appropriateness and incoherence), information behaviors (e.g., information seeking and sharing), and unconditional acceptance of health information. Results from a survey of 588 women in South Korean indicate that an individual's appraisal of information as being appropriate or incoherent influences unconditional acceptance of health information. Both types of information appraisals are positively associated with information seeking, which is negatively associated with unconditional acceptance of information. In contrast, neither of these appraisals have an impact on unconditional acceptance via information sharing. Notably, when information appraisals are not considered, information exposure is positively associated with information sharing, which is then positively associated with unconditional acceptance. Implications for health information consumers and practitioners are discussed.