Managing Misinformation: Belief and Beyond

Abstract

Misinformation is driving important outcomes for organizations and individuals. In this symposium, four teams of scholars present research on misinformation explaining the psychological processes behind its proliferation and providing insight into what can be done to manage it. Gordon Pennycook begins the symposium with evidence for the role of lazy thinking as an alternative explanation for why people believe misinformation. He demonstrates that peoples’ thinking styles dictate their susceptibility to believing false information. Next, Bella Ren takes us beyond belief, showing how social feedback plays an important role in whether people share conspiracy theories even when they acknowledge their inaccuracy. Subsequently, Julia Langdon explores how people judge the unethicality of spreading information that is explicitly demarcated as false. Her findings show that people condemn false information less when they have been exposed to similar, accurate information. Finally, Ezra Zuckerman Sivan submits research revealing how knowingly false statements can be interpreted as symbolic protests against the “establishment” enhancing their appeal. He shows how this phenomenon is partisan-motivated. His findings suggest that the role of belief in spreading misinformation might be more limited than we previously thought. Together these talks provide insights into the underlying psychological mechanisms driving the proliferation and influence of misinformation and what interventions can be used to manage it. Lazy Thinking Drives the Spread of Fake News Presenter: Gordon Pennycook; Hill Levene School of Business Presenter: David Rand; MIT Sloan School of Management Presenter: Christie Newton; U. of Regina When They See Us – The Social Dimension of Conspiracy Theory Sharing Presenter: Zhiying Ren; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Presenter: Eugen Dimant; U. of Pennsylvania Presenter: Maurice Schweitzer; U. of Pennsylvania Two Truths and a Lie: A Falsehood is Less Unethical to Tell when Truths Make a Case for it Presenter: Julia Alexandra Langdon; London Business School Presenter: Daniel A. Effron; London Business School When Truth Trumps Facts: Three Studies on Partisan Evidence-Flouting in American Politics Presenter: Ezra Zuckerman; Massachusetts Institute of Technology Presenter: Oliver Hahl; Carnegie Mellon U. - Tepper School of Business Presenter: Ethan Poskanzer; Massachusetts Institute of Technology