Abstract
Research on the sharing of fake news has primarily focused on the manner in which fake news spreads and the literary style of fake news. These studies, however, do not explain how characteristics of fake news could affect people’s inclination toward sharing these news articles. Drawing on the Terror Management Theory, we proposed that fake news is more likely to elicit death-related thoughts than real news. Consequently, to manage the existential anxiety that had been produced, people share the news articles to feel connected to close others as a way of resolving the existential anxiety. Across three experimental studies (total N = 416), we found that it was not news type per se (i.e., real versus fake news) that influenced news-sharing intentions; instead, it was the increased accessibility to death-related thoughts elicited from the content of news articles that motivated news-sharing. The findings support the Terror Management framework and contribute to the existing literature by providing an empirical examination of the underlying psychological motive behind fake news-sharing tendencies.
Highlights
Fake news, broadly defined as contents presented in news formats that lacks facticity, is intended to mislead readers (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017; Egelhofer & Lecheler, 2019; Tandoc et al, 2018), can clearly—and unnecessarily—set off behaviors with real consequences
We proposed that death-related thoughts elicited from fake news articles motivate news-sharing. We demonstrated that it was not news type per se that influenced news-sharing inclinations; instead, it was death-related thoughts elicited from the content of news articles that motivated news-sharing
An independent samples t-test was conducted to examine the mean differences in negative affect, positive affect and death-thought accessibility elicited by fake news articles versus real news articles
Summary
Broadly defined as contents presented in news formats that lacks facticity, is intended to mislead readers (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017; Egelhofer & Lecheler, 2019; Tandoc et al, 2018), can clearly—and unnecessarily—set off behaviors with real consequences. These phenomena have demonstrated some level of resistance to corrective intervention. When presented with corrected information after reading fake news, people’s adjusted attitudes remained biased (De Keersmaecker & Roets, 2017); worse yet, people reinforced their belief in the initial yet incorrect information (Nyhan & Reifler, 2010; Thorson, 2016). These studies demonstrate the persistence of misinformation, and more critically, highlight the pernicious nature of fake news
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
