Research Reveals People Endorse Misinformation as Symbolic Victory Rather Than Belief in Falsehoods
By
Archelaos
The bagel they save for the regulars. Don't skim, savour.
Summary
New research published in the Journal of Social Psychology reveals that some people endorse easily disproven misinformation because they view it as a symbolic 'win' rather than caring about literal truth. The study surveyed 5,535 people across eight countries during the pandemic and found that endorsing false claims like '5G networks cause COVID-19' is linked to prioritizing symbolic strength over factual accuracy. The research suggests that approaches to combating misinformation that assume everyone values truth may be ineffective for those who see misinformation as a form of social or political victory.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledWhy do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved? It's one thing to believe false information, but another to actively stick with something that's obviously wrong.
Our new research suggests that some people consider it a 'win' to lean in to known falsehoods.
We are social psychologists who study political psychology and how people reason about reality.
Conversations around misinformation that assume everyone cares about literal truth may be missing the point.
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