Publication
Title
Identifying the drivers behind the dissemination of online misinformation : a study on political attitudes and individual characteristics in the context of engaging with misinformation on social media
Author
Abstract
The increasing dissemination of online misinformation in recent years has raised the question which individuals interact with this kind of information and what role attitudinal congruence plays in this context. To answer these questions, we conduct surveys in six countries (BE, CH, DE, FR, UK, and US) and investigate the drivers of the dissemination of misinformation on three noncountry specific topics (immigration, climate change, and COVID-19). Our results show that besides issue attitudes and issue salience, political orientation, personality traits, and heavy social media use increase the willingness to disseminate misinformation online. We conclude that future research should not only consider individual's beliefs but also focus on specific user groups that are particularly susceptible to misinformation and possibly caught in social media "fringe bubbles."
Language
English
Source (journal)
American behavioral scientist. - Newbury Park, Calif.
Publication
Thousand oaks : Sage publications inc , 2022
ISSN
0002-7642
DOI
10.1177/00027642221118300
Volume/pages
(2022) , 20 p.
ISI
000844287800001
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 01.09.2023
Last edited 22.07.2024
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