Government social media and citizen trust: the mediating role of psychological distance and perceived government performance
基于重庆334名公民的问卷数据，研究发现公民参与政府社交媒体能提升感知政府绩效、缩短心理距离，进而提高满意度和信任，为政府设计服务型社交媒体提供指导。
Governments’ effective use of social media helps to build citizen trust, yet the psychological mechanisms behind this remain underexplored. Drawing on questionnaire data from 334 citizens in Chongqing, China, this study examines how citizen engagement with Government Social Media (GSM) influences governmental trust. Specifically, it investigates the mediating roles of perceived government performance, perceived psychological distance, and citizen satisfaction with government. The results show that citizen engagement with GSM positively influences perceptions of government performance and reduces psychological distance, which improves citizen satisfaction and establishes higher governmental trust. These findings provide practical guidance for government agencies on leveraging psychological mechanisms to design service-oriented GSM, thereby strengthening citizen trust.