HSE Scientists: Social Cues in News Interfaces Build Online Trust
Researchers from the HSE Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users have discovered how social cues in the design of news websites—such as reader comments, the number of reposts, or the author’s name—can help build user trust. An experiment with 137 volunteers showed that such interface elements make a website appear more trustworthy and persuasive to users, with the strongest cue being links to the media’s social networks. The study's findings have been published in Human-Computer Interaction.
In a digital environment, users most often interact not with a person directly, but rather with their digital avatar—through text, icons, or comments. This is particularly evident in news interfaces, where the user is left alone with the flow of information. Therefore, indications of other people's presence—such as the author’s name beneath an article’s title or the opportunity to share one’s opinion—play an important role in evaluating the content itself. Such elements, known as social cues, create the sense of someone else being present in the interface—be it an author, another reader, or an entire community. This helps alleviate feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. However, the impact of such cues on user trust in news websites has not been studied before. Therefore, a team of researchers from HSE University set out to test how the design of news interfaces influences initial online trust.
Scientists at the HSE Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users conducted an experiment in which participants were shown 60 pairs of screenshots featuring specially designed news interface layouts. Each pair consisted of two identical webpages that differed only in the presence of a social cue—for example, one interface might display a 'share' button or the author’s name, while the other contained no such cues. In total, the researchers tested 12 types of social cues, ranging from the number of article views and social media reposts to a feedback form and links to social media pages.
'Seeing that a news outlet has an active social media presence creates a sense of openness and engagement. Users feel they can interact with the source of information rather than just passively consume it, which increases trust,' says Ekaterina Kosova, co-author of the study and Junior Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users of the HSE School of Psychology.
Almost all social cues significantly increased user trust in the interface. The strongest effects came from links to the media’s social network pages, indication of the article’s author or editor, and the number of times the article was reposted on social media. The only exception was the chatbot icon: its effect showed a slight decline in trust, though statistically insignificant. According to the researchers, this is likely due to its unusualness—users do not expect to see a chatbot on a news site and perceive it as an inappropriate element.
Prior to the main experiment, participants were divided into three groups. The first group was informed in advance that all news content in the experiment was fake, the second group was told that it was true, and the third group received no information. This allowed the researchers to observe and measure the impact of prior beliefs on user perception of the interface.
They found that prior judgment had a significant effect: participants who were informed in advance that all the news in the study was fake rated the interfaces significantly lower than those in the other groups. However, there were no significant differences between the average ratings from the group informed that the news was truthful and the group that received no prior information, possibly indicating a baseline level of trust in news sources.
These findings can be valuable for developers and designers of news websites. According to the authors, incorporating elements of social presence can help increase user trust and combat the spread of fake news. Further research may identify additional strategies to strengthen audience trust and improve the quality of news content.
The study was conducted with support from the HSE Basic Research Programme.
See also:
HSE Psycholinguists Launch Digital Tool to Spot Dyslexia in Children
Specialists from HSE University's Centre for Language and Brain have introduced LexiMetr, a new digital tool for diagnosing dyslexia in primary school students. This is the first standardised application in Russia that enables fast and reliable assessment of children’s reading skills to identify dyslexia or the risk of developing it. The application is available on the RuStore platform and runs on Android tablets.
Physicists Propose New Mechanism to Enhance Superconductivity with 'Quantum Glue'
A team of researchers, including scientists from HSE MIEM, has demonstrated that defects in a material can enhance, rather than hinder, superconductivity. This occurs through interaction between defective and cleaner regions, which creates a 'quantum glue'—a uniform component that binds distinct superconducting regions into a single network. Calculations confirm that this mechanism could aid in developing superconductors that operate at higher temperatures. The study has been published in Communications Physics.
Neural Network Trained to Predict Crises in Russian Stock Market
Economists from HSE University have developed a neural network model that can predict the onset of a short-term stock market crisis with over 83% accuracy, one day in advance. The model performs well even on complex, imbalanced data and incorporates not only economic indicators but also investor sentiment. The paper by Tamara Teplova, Maksim Fayzulin, and Aleksei Kurkin from the Centre for Financial Research and Data Analytics at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences has been published in Socio-Economic Planning Sciences.
Larger Groups of Students Use AI More Effectively in Learning
Researchers at the Institute of Education and the Faculty of Economic Sciences at HSE University have studied what factors determine the success of student group projects when they are completed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Their findings suggest that, in addition to the knowledge level of the team members, the size of the group also plays a significant role—the larger it is, the more efficient the process becomes. The study was published in Innovations in Education and Teaching International.
New Models for Studying Diseases: From Petri Dishes to Organs-on-a-Chip
Biologists from HSE University, in collaboration with researchers from the Kulakov National Medical Research Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, have used advanced microfluidic technologies to study preeclampsia—one of the most dangerous pregnancy complications, posing serious risks to the life and health of both mother and child. In a paper published in BioChip Journal, the researchers review modern cellular models—including advanced placenta-on-a-chip technologies—that offer deeper insights into the mechanisms of the disorder and support the development of effective treatments.
Using Two Cryptocurrencies Enhances Volatility Forecasting
Researchers from the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences have found that Bitcoin price volatility can be effectively predicted using Ethereum, the second-most popular cryptocurrency. Incorporating Ethereum into a predictive model reduces the forecast error to 23%, outperforming neural networks and other complex algorithms. The article has been published in Applied Econometrics.
Administrative Staff Are Crucial to University Efficiency—But Only in Teaching-Oriented Institutions
An international team of researchers, including scholars from HSE University, has analysed how the number of non-academic staff affects a university’s performance. The study found that the outcome depends on the institution’s profile: in research universities, the share of administrative and support staff has no effect on efficiency, whereas in teaching-oriented universities, there is a positive correlation. The findings have been published in Applied Economics.
Physicists at HSE University Reveal How Vortices Behave in Two-Dimensional Turbulence
Researchers from the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the HSE University's Faculty of Physics have discovered how external forces affect the behaviour of turbulent flows. The scientists showed that even a small external torque can stabilise the system and extend the lifetime of large vortices. These findings may improve the accuracy of models of atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The paper has been published in Physics of Fluids.
Solvent Instead of Toxic Reagents: Chemists Develop Environmentally Friendly Method for Synthesising Aniline Derivatives
An international team of researchers, including chemists from HSE University and the A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INEOS RAS), has developed a new method for synthesising aniline derivatives—compounds widely used in the production of medicines, dyes, and electronic materials. Instead of relying on toxic and expensive reagents, they proposed using tetrahydrofuran, which can be derived from renewable raw materials. The reaction was carried out in the presence of readily available cobalt salts and syngas. This approach reduces hazardous waste and simplifies the production process, making it more environmentally friendly. The study has been published in ChemSusChem.
How Colour Affects Pricing: Why Art Collectors Pay More for Blue
Economists from HSE University, St Petersburg State University, and the University of Florida have found which colours in abstract paintings increase their market value. An analysis of thousands of canvases sold at auctions revealed that buyers place a higher value on blue and favour bright, saturated palettes, while showing less appreciation for traditional colour schemes. The article has been published in Information Systems Frontiers.