Coping Responses to the Stress of Using News Platforms’ Recommendation Algorithms

Abstract

Drawing on the stressor–strain–outcome (SSO) framework, this study examined how information-related stressors (perceived information overload, information quality deterioration, and information narrowing) and privacy-related stressor (perceived privacy risk) in using news platforms’ recommendation algorithms trigger users’ psychological reactance, which leads to their active coping, expressive coping, or avoidance coping with their stress in using such recommendation algorithms. Using a sample of 352 valid research responses, this study found that users’ psychological reactance is positively influenced by perceived information quality deterioration, followed by perceived information overload and perceived privacy risk. Meanwhile, perceived information narrowing has no significant impact on psychological reactance. In turn, psychological reactance exerts a stronger impact on expressive coping and avoidance coping responses than on active coping response. This study enriches the literature on the stress in algorithm usage at the individual level and provides practical insights for the providers of news platforms which have applied recommendation algorithms.