Abstract: ［Purpose/Significance］This study aims to explore the causes and mechanism of rumor trust and consequences in the context of COVID-19 epidemic.［Design/Methodology］A total of 1483 valid samples were collected through questionnaire during the early outbreak of epidemic. The hypotheses and models were verified with the use of structural equation model.［Findings/Conclusion］The results show that anxiety and personal involvement positively affects rumor trust and social involvement negatively affects rumor trust, which positively determines rumor consequences. Besides, relatives’and friends’ concerns can strengthen the effect of personal and social involvement on rumor trust, and weaken the effect of anxiety on rumor trust.［Originality/Value］This study combined classical rumor model with the specific characteristics of epidemic rumors, introducing anxiety, personal involvement and online social involvement as explanatory variables, while rumor trust and rumor consequence were deemed as explained objects. Relatives’ and friends’ concerns were introduced as the contingent variable so as to construct a theoretical model of epidemic rumor trust and consequences. According to the research result, effective countermeasures and suggestions have been proposed for government’ s epidemic control and individual rumor identification.

Key words: Rumor trust, Rumor consequence, Rumor theory, Social involvement, Relatives’ and friends’ concerns, COVID-19