Effects of Weibo on marriage attitude and intention among unmarried women in China

China's path to modernization is accompanied by a demographic transition characterized by declining marriage and fertility rates. Consequently, understanding the factors that influence marriage attitudes and intentions among unmarried women has become increasingly critical for implementing effective social policies and population strategies. Social media platforms, particularly Weibo, play a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions of marriage. Notably, marriage-related comments on Weibo significantly influence the marriage attitudes and intentions of unmarried women. However, while existing studies have examined factors affecting marriage attitudes and intentions, limited research has explored the mechanisms through which Weibo comments shape these perspectives. To address this gap, this study integrates the elaboration likelihood model and the theory of planned behaviour to investigate how information dissemination on Weibo influences the marriage attitudes and decision-making of unmarried women. Employing a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional correlational design, the study sampled 373 unmarried women aged 20 years and above who had engaged with Weibo marriage-related comments. These participants were drawn from four communities in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. Data collection utilized seven validated instruments via self-administered electronic questionnaires distributed through social contact groups. The data were subsequently analyzed using SPSS and Smart-PLS software. The findings revealed that unmarried women's perceptions of argument quality, source credibility, personal relevance, marriage attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and marriage intention were all at a moderate level. Argument quality and source credibility of Weibo marriage comments were found to negatively affect marriage attitudes and intentions. Furthermore, marriage attitude mediated the relationship between marriage comments (argument quality and source credibility) and marriage intention, while personal relevance moderated the effect of marriage comments on marriage attitude. Additionally, marriage intention was positively influenced by marriage attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. This research highlights the efficacy of combining the elaboration likelihood model and the theory of planned behaviour in uncovering the mechanisms through which Weibo marriage comments influence marriage attitudes and intentions. By expanding the applicability and explanatory power of these theories, this study addresses critical gaps in existing literature. Moreover, it offers valuable insights for understanding the marriage behaviour of contemporary Chinese women, while providing a theoretical and practical foundation for designing targeted marriage and population policies, improving information dissemination environments, and enhancing women's decision- making autonomy in marriage.

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