Abstract
The terms "post-truth" and "fake news" have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse over the last year. This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation, how it influences people, and how to counter it. We examine the ways in which misinformation can have an adverse impact on society. We summarize how people respond to corrections of misinformation, and what kinds of corrections are most effective. We argue that to be effective, scientific research into misinformation must be considered within a larger political, technological, and societal context. The post-truth world emerged as a result of societal mega-trends such as a decline in social capital, growing economic inequality, increased polarization, declining trust in science, and an increasingly fractionated media landscape. We suggest that responses to this malaise must involve technological solutions incorporating psychological principles, an interdisciplinary approach that we describe as "technocognition." We outline a number of recommendations to counter misinformation in a post-truth world.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 353-369 |
| Journal | Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
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Beyond Misinformation : Understanding and Coping with the "Post-Truth" Era. / Lewandowsky, Stephan; Ecker, Ullrich K.H.; Cook, John.
In: Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Vol. 6, No. 4, 2017, p. 353-369.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond Misinformation
T2 - Understanding and Coping with the "Post-Truth" Era
AU - Lewandowsky, Stephan
AU - Ecker, Ullrich K.H.
AU - Cook, John
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The terms "post-truth" and "fake news" have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse over the last year. This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation, how it influences people, and how to counter it. We examine the ways in which misinformation can have an adverse impact on society. We summarize how people respond to corrections of misinformation, and what kinds of corrections are most effective. We argue that to be effective, scientific research into misinformation must be considered within a larger political, technological, and societal context. The post-truth world emerged as a result of societal mega-trends such as a decline in social capital, growing economic inequality, increased polarization, declining trust in science, and an increasingly fractionated media landscape. We suggest that responses to this malaise must involve technological solutions incorporating psychological principles, an interdisciplinary approach that we describe as "technocognition." We outline a number of recommendations to counter misinformation in a post-truth world.
AB - The terms "post-truth" and "fake news" have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse over the last year. This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation, how it influences people, and how to counter it. We examine the ways in which misinformation can have an adverse impact on society. We summarize how people respond to corrections of misinformation, and what kinds of corrections are most effective. We argue that to be effective, scientific research into misinformation must be considered within a larger political, technological, and societal context. The post-truth world emerged as a result of societal mega-trends such as a decline in social capital, growing economic inequality, increased polarization, declining trust in science, and an increasingly fractionated media landscape. We suggest that responses to this malaise must involve technological solutions incorporating psychological principles, an interdisciplinary approach that we describe as "technocognition." We outline a number of recommendations to counter misinformation in a post-truth world.
KW - Demagoguery
KW - Fake news
KW - Misinformation
KW - Post-truth politics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030773900&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.07.008
DO - 10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.07.008
M3 - Article
VL - 6
SP - 353
EP - 369
JO - Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
JF - Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
SN - 2211-3681
IS - 4
ER -