Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Misinformation alarmism taps into the tendency to view other people as gullible, study suggests

by Emily Manis
May 26, 2023
in Social Psychology

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk of “fake news,” or misinformation spread like wildfire through social media, but why is that such a large concern? A study in New Media & Society suggests that people feel threatened by misinformation because they believe other people are more vulnerable to believing it than they are.

Misinformation has been a hot topic in recent years, especially regarding previous presidencies and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people believe that the internet and popular media have allowed fake information to thrive and spread, leading to many people having strong beliefs in falsehoods. Though this does happen, there is a degree of alarmism and over-exaggeration surrounding misinformation.

This alarmism has led to negative outcomes, such as people being very skeptical of both fake and real news and decreased sharing of reliable news sources. Though misinformation as a concern has gained a lot of attention in recent years, the underlying reasons that people are concerned about misinformation have been understudied, which this article seeks to address.

Study authors Sacha Altay and Alberto Acerbi administered two surveys in both the United States and United Kingdom to better understand what people believe the danger of misinformation is. Survey 1 utilized 300 participants from the United Kingdom and 302 participants from the United States. Both samples were gender balanced and recruited through the online platform Prolific.

Participants were asked to report their age, gender, level of education and then completed 16 questions that consisted of five subscales: perceived danger of misinformation, attitudes toward new technologies, belief that societal problems have simple solutions and clear causes, belief we live in a dangerous world, and confidence in their abilities, friends’ and family’s abilities, and people’s abilities to spot misinformation.

Survey 2 utilized 300 participants from the United Kingdom and 299 participants from the United States, all recruited via Prolific. Both samples were gender balanced. Participants reported their age, gender, level of education, answered three questions on the danger of misinformation, and then rated how likely they would be to like and share four alarmist headlines on misinformation.

Results from survey 1 showed that the U.K. and U.S. samples reported differing factors were associated with believing that misinformation is dangerous. In the United Kingdom, negative attitudes toward new technologies, belief that societal problems have simple solutions and clear causes, belief we live in a dangerous world, perceived difficulty to spot misinformation, and the third-party effect were all related to perceived danger of misinformation.

In the United States sample, all of the same variables were significant except for negative attitudes toward new technologies and belief that we live in a dangerous world. Participants who showed strong third person effects, or beliefs that other people were more susceptible to misinformation than they themselves are, were increasingly concerned about misinformation, which was the strongest effect seen in survey 1 for both countries.

Results from survey 2 showed that higher perceived danger of misinformation was associated with a greater likelihood of liking and sharing alarmist headlines in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

This study took important steps into understanding the perceived danger of misinformation and what contributes to it. Despite this, there are limitations to note. One such limitation is that willingness to share and like alarmist headlines may not generalize to actual behavior. Additionally, there could be other important factors linked to perceiving danger of misinformation that were not measured, such as political affiliation.

“The finding that worries about misinformation tap into our tendency to view other people as gullible could help address some of their negative effects,” the researchers concluded. “For instance, while it is important to raise awareness about misinformation, it may also be necessary to communicate to the public the scientific evidence that misinformation is less widespread than they think and that its effects are more nuanced than often assumed.”

The study, “People believe misinformation is a threat because they assume others are gullible“, was published February 17, 2023.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend
Previous Post

People with a greater tendency for victimhood are more likely to engage in cyberbullying, according to new research

Next Post

People frequently perceive AI-generated faces as more authentic than real faces, study finds

STAY CONNECTED

Find these awesome psychology shirts and more at the PsyPost Store!

TRENDING

Social anxiety tends to be elevated among those who suffered emotional maltreatment in childhood

New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

Scientists use deep learning algorithms to predict political ideology based on facial characteristics

New study hints at the characteristics of the “ideal” female breast

Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

Diversity of the gut microbiota is associated with the severity of depression

RECENT

Diversity of the gut microbiota is associated with the severity of depression

Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

New research: Brain implant can objectively measure chronic pain severity

New study hints at the characteristics of the “ideal” female breast

Our brain prefers positive vocal sounds that come from our left

Study highlights the importance of napping for memory consolidation in early childhood

People with advanced biological age are at greater risk of developing depression and anxiety, study finds

Sun avoidance and lack of vitamin D dietary intake linked to heightened anxiety among college women

Currently Playing

Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Mental Health
New study sheds light on cognitive mechanisms linked to hypnosis

Chronic intake of refined carbohydrates between meals is associated with decreased cognitive performance, study finds

Cognitive Science
Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Social Psychology
Women who have larger breasts tend to have lower levels of satisfaction with their breasts, study finds

Women who have larger breasts tend to have lower levels of satisfaction with their breasts, study finds

Social Psychology
Unwanted celibacy is linked to hostility towards women, sexual objectification of women, and endorsing rape myths

Depressive symptoms tied to malevolent creativity in new study

Depression
Psychosocial stress triggers an oxytocin response in women, study finds

Oxytocin alters amygdala activation in response to angry faces in antisocial personality disorder

Cognitive Science
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.