Behavioural mimicry or herd behaviour of Generation Z? Social media interactions in the context of information overload

Abstract

[Abstract] The article aimed to examine the relationship between Generation Z’s interactions on social networking sites in the context of herd behaviour and behavioural mimicry through central and peripheral content processing pathways. The study was conducted using the CAWI method on a group of 142 representatives of Generation Z from selected universities in Poland. Nonparametric tests were used for statistical analyses. In the case of information overload, approximately 20 % of respondents’ interactions on different social media platforms may result from behavioural mimicry and herd behaviours. This type of activity is influenced primarily by the observed number of interactions and the emotional nature of other users’ reactions. The observed differences are determined by gender, the type of social media platform, and related content specificity. Research limitations result from the specificity of the research sample in the context of its homogeneity and size. The theoretical contribution is related to the development of the cognitive-emotional-behavioural theory of memes about the imitation of interactions of social media users’ conditioned herd behaviour and behavioural mimicry. The novelty of the research lies in the application of the theoretical Elaboration Likelihood Model approach to the analysis of herd behaviour and behavioural mimicry in the context of research on the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural activities of various social media platform users.