Why we fall for online misinformation and what we can do about it
Online misinformation is a growing societal concern, necessitating a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing its prevalence, impact, and spread. In this talk, I identify the psychological processes behind why people believe and share misinformation, focusing on the role that feelings play in such judgments and the criteria individuals use to assess truth.
Given these processes, I discuss how the affordances of online information environments can contribute to misperceptions of truth, including misperceptions of what others believe and the state of expert consensus. I highlight findings from my research about the outsized role that repeated and selective exposure to information plays in such assessments, and the conditions that may protect people from the negative effects of such exposure. Next, in light of recent reductions to platform-side efforts to address the spread of online misinformation, I consider the need for effective user-side interventions. I present my recent work on one such intervention (the use of social “truth queries”) inspired by the ongoing efforts of non-profit organizations in South Africa, and share results demonstrating the potential for this approach to address a broad range of misinformation, including polarized and election-related content. Finally, I identify promising future avenues for the study of online misinformation, including the application of social norm research to the development of new norm-based interventions.
This lecture will also be live streamed via Zoom. You are welcome to join us either in South Hall or online.
For online participants
Online participants must have a Zoom account and be logged in. Sign up for your free account here. If this is your first time using Zoom, please allow a few extra minutes to download and install the browser plugin or mobile app.
Speaker
Madeline Jalbert
Dr. Madeline Jalbert is a research scientist at the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington. Prior to this role, she was an NSF SBE postdoctoral fellow, working with mentors at UW and Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on understanding how the affordances of our information environments influence judgments of truth and related variables, such as judgments about the beliefs of others and estimates of consensus. She applies these findings to identify when individuals are likely to form misperceptions about what is true and what others believe, and to develop interventions to address these misperceptions. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Southern California in 2021.
Contact
If you have questions about this event, please contact Kimmy Fox.
