A recent study introduced a new theoretical method for understanding the interaction between news readers on the internet and fake news producers. The new conceptual framework reveals that tired or inattentive readers are more likely to click on fake news stories, and that producers of misleading and fake content exploit people’s attention lapses to achieve a wider reach for their content.
The theoretical and empirical study was conducted by Alexander J. Stewart from St. Andrews University, Antonio A. Arechar from CIDE, David G. Rand from MIT, and Joshua B. Plotkin from the University of Pennsylvania. The research paper was published in PNAS.
New Method for Understanding How Misinformation Spreads
The study notes that most previous research has focused on empirical data, asking questions such as: Who reads, shares, and believes misinformation? Why do people fall into the trap of misinformation? What interventions can combat misinformation?
In contrast, the new study presents an approach based on developing a theoretical model that uses game theory to understand how individuals interact with news. This model focuses on analyzing the behavior of information consumers in interaction with content producers, rather than viewing them as isolated entities with complete control over their exposure to or avoidance of misinformation.
“We know how false information can spread faster than factual content and how damaging it can be to public discourse and trust in democratic institutions,” says one of the researchers involved in the study. “Despite this, most previous research in this area has been insufficient to explain the reasons behind the spread of misinformation. In our study, we aimed to examine how fake news sites exploit moments of poor concentration, showing that readers who experience distraction or media stress are more likely to believe fake news.”
How Interaction With Misleading Content Fails To Reflect Individual Preferences
Together, the theoretical and empirical results indicate that consumer preferences cannot be simply inferred from observed interaction patterns. In other words, clicking, liking, or sharing misleading posts does not necessarily mean that a person is interested in spreading misinformation.
The results show that even people who seek the truth and aim to access reliable information can still be influenced by fake news when they are not fully alert. This highlights the fact that moments of poor concentration or distraction can lead to increased interaction with misinformation, even among readers who prefer accurate and trustworthy content.
Individuals Are Not Always Able To Avoid Misinformation
The study finds that individuals' exposure to misinformation, resulting from lapses in attention, increases during periods of heavy media consumption and election cycles. The study challenges the common assumption that recipients of fake content only follow news and posts that align with their beliefs and that they freely choose what they follow.
Empirical tests reveal that fake content producers use strategies that attract even truth-seeking readers, meaning that individuals do not have complete control over avoiding misinformation. Researchers’ work shows that most people actually prefer to interact with and share factual information. However, they are less likely to fact-check when they are tired, stressed, or simply lazy.
The study suggests that individuals who are continuously exposed to misinformation due to lapses in attention might develop habits that lead them to click on additional misleading sites, news, and posts. This indicates that moments of poor concentration can be exploited by producers of misleading content, increasing the spread of false information even among individuals who value accuracy and reliability.
The Impact of Memory and Past Experience on Exposure to Misinformation
The researchers suggest that readers may make engagement decisions based on their previous experience with a news source, rather than evaluating the accuracy of the current story. This occurs when they are unable to assess the accuracy of the news due to inattention or intellectual or physical fatigue. In such cases, they rely on their previous experience with the source and may react to misleading information if their prior experiences with the same source were positive.
Readers and news consumers can also develop a habit of “automatic interaction with headlines” without examining their accuracy. This automatic reaction happens when the reader cannot evaluate the current news story's accuracy and instead depends on previous interactions or follows an established scanning strategy to engage with the news.
How Fake News Stimulates User Interaction
The study finds that misinformation spreaders use strategies to make fake news appear more attractive to readers. They exploit various loopholes, including adjusting the production rates of true and false news over time based on previous reader engagement. This approach leads to increased engagement with fake news, even among readers who prefer accurate information.
The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of practicing fact-checking, including verifying sources and reading all content thoroughly before clicking and sharing. It also notes that recipients of information are often overwhelmed and exploited by publishers of misleading content.
Researchers predict that, given the current political and economic climate and the increasing spread of misinformation, 2024 will see a rise in such information, particularly as 50 countries prepare for national elections.
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