On the study of factors of fake news perception by mass audience (case study of student youth)

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of perception of false (fake) information by mass audience, especially by students. Fake information today is similar to viruses that instantly "infect" the mass of recipients. A separate category of fake information is fake news, the worst consequence of which is real actions of people based on unreliable information that does not correspond to the facts of objective reality. Students are an active social group and the main consumers of information of social networks where fakes are mainly circulated. Fake news is a product of the post-truth era, characterized by the state of society when the truth becomes those facts and situations that the public believes in. The paper analyses the socio-psychological factors that influence the perception of fake information by student youth. Authors highlights the following socio-psychological factors: social attitudes, cognitive distortions, trust issues and emotional intelligence. The structure of social attitudes is considered and the conclusion is made on the basis of cognitive theories that fake news influencing the affective component of social attitudes changes these attitudes. Cognitive distortions such as the Dunning-Kruger effect, affect heuristics, and confirmation bias play a significant role in this process. The authors conclude that the low level of trust actualizes the problem of trust fake news in Russian society. Authers found that students believe false information more than true information, they are unable to distinguish deception. They use the intuition when try to understand if the information is fake. Emotional intelligence does not directly influence competence in recognizing fake news but influences criticality in assessing one's ability to recognize it. Further study of the issue should consider IQ and EQ indicators for developing scientific and practical recommendations to reduce trust in fake news.