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Article

Mapping Linear and Configurational Dynamics to Fake News Sharing Behaviors in a Developing Economy

by
Claudel Mombeuil
1,2,*,
Hugues Séraphin
3 and
Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala
4
1
Rezo Inovasyon Edikatif Ayisyen (RINOVEDA), Mirebalais HT 5210, Haiti
2
Faculté des Sciences Administratives, Université Notre Dame d’Haïti, Port-au-Prince HT 6110, Haiti
3
Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
4
Department of Social Statistics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Technologies 2025, 13(8), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080341
Submission received: 28 June 2025 / Revised: 25 July 2025 / Accepted: 30 July 2025 / Published: 6 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Information and Communication Technologies)

Abstract

The proliferation of social media has paradoxically facilitated the widespread dissemination of fake news, impacting individuals, politics, economics, and society as a whole. Despite the increasing scholarly research on this phenomenon, a significant gap exists regarding its dynamics in developing countries, particularly how predictors of fake news sharing interact, rather than merely their net effects. To acquire a more nuanced understanding of fake news sharing behavior, we propose identifying the direct and complex interplay among key variables by utilizing a dual analytical framework, leveraging Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for linear relationships and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to uncover asymmetric patterns. Specifically, we investigate the influence of news-find-me orientation, social media trust, information-sharing tendencies, and status-seeking motivation on the propensity of fake news sharing behavior. Additionally, we delve into the moderating influence of social media literacy on these observed effects. Based on a cross-sectional survey of 1028 Haitian social media users, the SEM analysis revealed that news-find-me perception had a negative but statistically insignificant influence on fake news sharing behavior. In contrast, information sharing exhibited a significant negative association. Trust in social media was positively and significantly linked to fake news sharing behavior. Meanwhile, status-seeking motivation was positively associated with fake news sharing behavior, although the association did not reach statistical significance. Crucially, social media literacy moderated the effects of trust and information sharing. Interestingly, fsQCA identified three core configurations for fake news sharing: (1) low status seeking, (2) low information-sharing tendencies, and (3) a unique interaction of low “news-find-me” orientation and high social media trust. Furthermore, low social media literacy emerged as a direct core configuration. These findings support the urgent need to prioritize social media literacy as a key intervention in combating the dissemination of fake news.
Keywords: fake news sharing; news-find-me; social media trust; information sharing; status-seeking; social media literacy; SEM; fsQCA fake news sharing; news-find-me; social media trust; information sharing; status-seeking; social media literacy; SEM; fsQCA

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Mombeuil, C.; Séraphin, H.; Diunugala, H.P. Mapping Linear and Configurational Dynamics to Fake News Sharing Behaviors in a Developing Economy. Technologies 2025, 13, 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080341

AMA Style

Mombeuil C, Séraphin H, Diunugala HP. Mapping Linear and Configurational Dynamics to Fake News Sharing Behaviors in a Developing Economy. Technologies. 2025; 13(8):341. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080341

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mombeuil, Claudel, Hugues Séraphin, and Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala. 2025. "Mapping Linear and Configurational Dynamics to Fake News Sharing Behaviors in a Developing Economy" Technologies 13, no. 8: 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080341

APA Style

Mombeuil, C., Séraphin, H., & Diunugala, H. P. (2025). Mapping Linear and Configurational Dynamics to Fake News Sharing Behaviors in a Developing Economy. Technologies, 13(8), 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13080341

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