It often seems to me that, in the realm of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM), we encounter more misinformation than information. Misinformation poses a serious threat to the proper functioning of societies worldwide. But who is particularly prone to fall for it?
In this study, an international team of psychologists wanted to find out. 66,242 individuals from 24 countries completed the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST) and indicated their self-perceived misinformation discernment ability. Multilevel modelling showed that the following types of induliduals were more vulnerable to misinformation:
- Generation Z,
- non-male,
- less educated,
- more conservative individuals.
While individuals’ confidence in detecting misinformation was generally associated with better actual discernment, the degree to which perceived ability matched actual ability varied across subgroups. Whereas women were especially accurate in assessing their ability, extreme conservatives’ perceived ability showed little relation to their actual misinformation discernment. Across all generations, Gen Z perceived their misinformation discernment ability most accurately, despite performing worst on the test.
The authors concluded that their analyses provide the first systematic and holistic profile of misinformation susceptibility.
The authors also point out that their sample provides the most global and geographically diverse portrait of misinformation susceptibility to date. They note that, due to the fact that the MIST test is currently only available in English, their findings skew towards participants from English-speaking countries and participants with high English language proficiency. Therefore, the current findings may not be generalizable to cultures or populations whose first language is not English. An important next step would thus be translating and revalidating the MIST into other languages to further examine the cultural generalizability and specificity of misinformation susceptibility.
PS
I am glad to report that I meet none of the above criteria for being particularly prone to misinformation!
2 Responses to Profiling the susceptibility to misinformation
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‘non-male’?
The paper categorises participants’ ‘Gender’ as Male, Female and ‘Non-binary/Third’. Pity it doesn’t say whether the ‘Non-binary/Third’ ones were female or male.
Please. My experience says, politically, you’re as ignorant and rigid as Donald Trump, just as unforgiving (and annoying) in attitude – and just as willing to flatter yourself for it. Like him, you’re not willing to give others a fair hearing, bow to requests, or even extend a hand when asked or needed. As I’ve said, many times, your “bedside manner” is just as atrocious. I think you hate him, in part, because you share so many similarities.
Clearly, my being poor and black, and in need of your help, hasn’t brought out the “liberal” in you yet. And we’ve been bantering for YEARS.
You still support the Democrats, even after the American people have rejected them – Trump and RFK, Jr. are both former Democrats – AND even after I told you the Democrats are “alternative” medicine’s biggest supporters and the whole reason RFK has a following.
Lastly, in America, the left’s rich – like Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey – are much more prone to be peddling this garbage than the poor.
But what do you care: you’re listening to yourself – and it’s getting the world nowhere – I submit King Charles as “Exhibit ‘A'”