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The fact that social media gives users easy access to online health information raises the question of what information evaluation strategies older adults use to distinguish trustworthy from unreliable health information. Identifying how older adults assess the credibility of health information that they acquire on social media is an important step toward understanding and reducing their susceptibility to health misinformation. In this study, we investigated the credibility assessment strategies used by older WeChat users in China. Following a qualitative approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 40 WeChat users 65–85 years old (M = 71.75, SD = 6.65) in China who had acquired health information on WeChat. Results of theoretical thematic analysis revealed five source-based and content-based evaluative strategies: (1) determining the communicative orientation of the source, (2) assessing source reputation, (3) confirming content based on life experiences, (4) checking for exaggeration in claimed effects, and (5) assessing the consistency of content across sources. Older WeChat users’ reliance on certain heuristic cues and their self-reliant approach to assessing information credibility provide contextual explanations for the link between heuristic processing and susceptibility to health misinformation. The findings have implications for anti-misinformation interventions targeting the older population in China and potentially beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic illness is the most prevalent and costly global public health challenge. To address this challenge, health information is essential for individuals to make informed decisions to self‐manage their health and prevent and monitor chronic illness. Although previous studies show that health information scanning—a form of information gathering behavior to obtain health information, incidentally, when health topics of interest arise during daily conversations with others or through regular use of the media—positively influenced health decisions, little is known about information scanning in the context of chronic illness. This study applied the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking to examine factors that influence individuals' use of different channels for health information scanning. Using quota sampling to resemble population demographic characteristics, we collected 1100 online survey responses from Chinese‐speaking Hong Kong residents aged from 18 to 65 or older. Three structural equation modeling analyses were performed to examine how antecedent factors and information carrier factors influenced the use of interpersonal/group channels, the Internet‐related channels, and the traditional media channels for scanning chronic illness‐related information. The findings supported that channel utility was an important determinant of health scanning behavior, and channel characteristics were strong predictors of channel utility. However, mixed findings were observed on the relationship between antecedent factors and channel utility across the three‐channel categories, because some antecedent factors had direct influence on health information scanning. These findings will inform the information dissemination and promotional message design for chronic illness prevention and care. Key points: Consistent with predictions of the comprehensive model of information seeking, the more individuals perceive that messages carried by an information channel are personally relevant and useful to them, the more likely they will scan health information using that channel. Furthermore, the more individuals perceive the message content to contain positive characteristics, the more likely they perceive the messages carried by the channels as relevant and useful to them. Of antecedent factors, belief‐related variables (perceived benefits and drawbacks of regular physical checkups, and efficacy belief) showed significant influences on people's perception of information channel utility and their health information scanning behavior. When designing promotional messages and disseminating information related to chronic illness care and prevention, it is important to consider factors of perceived benefits and drawbacks of regular physical checkups, efficacy belief, age, worry, and insurance/subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the widespread involvement of distributed collaboration triggered by COVID-19, it has become a new trend that has continued into the post-pandemic era. This study investigated collective performance within two collaborative environments (co-located and distancing settings) by assessing inter-brain synchrony patterns (IBS) among design collaborators using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The preliminary study was conducted with three dyads who possessed 2–3 years of professional product design experience. Each dyad completed two designated design tasks in distinct settings. In the distributed condition, participants interacted through video conferencing in which they were allowed to communicate by verbalization and sketching using a shared digital whiteboard. To prevent the influences of different sketching tools on design outputs, we employed digital sketching for both environments. The interactions between collaborators were identified in three behaviors: verbal only, sketch only, and mixed communication (verbal and sketch). The consequences revealed a higher level of IBS when mixed communication took place in distributed conditions than in co-located conditions. Comparably, the occurrence of IBS increased when participants solely utilized sketching as the interaction approach within the co-located setting. A mixed communication method combining verbalization and sketching might lead to more coordinated cognitive processes when in physical isolation. Design collaborators are inclined to adjust their interaction behaviors in order to adapt to different design environments, strengthen the exchange of ideas, and construct design consensus. Overall, the present paper discussed the performance of virtual collaborative design based on a neurocognitive perspective, contributing valuable insights for the future intervention design that promotes effective virtual teamwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]