Perceived Credibility in the Digital Information Era: A Systematic Literature Review on Dimensions, Determinants, and Behavioral Outcomes

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-754-5_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

perceived credibility; information credibility; source credibility; digital information; social media

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital platforms has intensified concerns about how users evaluate online information credibility, impacting misinformation spread, health communication, and public trust. Despite growing empirical attention, the literature remains fragmented across disciplines, platforms, and outcomes, with no systematic cross-disciplinary synthesis available for the 2021–2026 period. This study systematically reviewed and synthesised empirical research on perceived credibility in digital environments, addressing three research questions: the dimensions and frameworks used across disciplines; the individual, source, and contextual determinants; and the associated behavioral outcomes. A systematic search of Scopus retrieved 420 records. Following screening, relevance scoring, full-text assessment, and quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2018 (75% threshold), 55 high-quality studies were retained for narrative synthesis and thematic analysis in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Trustworthiness and expertise emerged as cross-disciplinary core dimensions of perceived credibility, while secondary dimensions diverged by discipline. User demographics and emotional states were the most studied determinants; platform and contextual factors remain underexplored. Engagement was the dominant behavioral outcome, followed by attitude change and decision-making. Information sharing and misinformation belief received limited empirical attention. Perceived credibility is anchored by a stable two-dimensional core but shaped by platform-contingent determinants and consequential for various behavioral outcomes. Future research should prioritize AI-generated content, longitudinal designs, cross-platform comparisons, and the integration of platform design variables as primary constructs.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this license to share adapted material derived from this chapter or parts of it.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Abdul Holid
AU  - Rasto Rasto
AU  - Suwatno Suwatno
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/02
TI  - Perceived Credibility in the Digital Information Era: A Systematic Literature Review on Dimensions, Determinants, and Behavioral Outcomes
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Transformation in Business and Organisations (ICDTBO 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 30
EP  - 44
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-754-5_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-754-5_4
ID  - Holid2026
ER  -