Sander Vanderlinden, a social psychology professor at the University of Cambridge, and Hugo Mercier, a cognitive scientist from the Institut Jean Nicod, dive deep into the misinformation crisis. They challenge the narrative of widespread vulnerability to misinformation, suggesting that humans may be more resilient than assumed. The duo also explores how misinformation interacts with personal beliefs and the complexities of vaccine hesitancy, emphasizing trust issues that complicate public health decisions. Their enlightening conversation reveals that the crisis might be more nuanced than it seems.
The podcast highlights that broadly defined misleading information could constitute up to 30% of online content, complicating the understanding of misinformation prevalence.
A significant debate emerges around the impact of misinformation on beliefs, with some experts arguing it primarily reinforces existing biases rather than persuading individuals.
Deep dives
Understanding Misinformation and Its Scope
Misinformation is defined as false or misleading information, while disinformation is misinformation that is intended to deceive. The podcast discusses how various perceptions of misinformation impact views on its prevalence. For example, if misinformation is narrowly defined to include only fringe conspiracy theories, it may seem less prevalent since many people do not subscribe to such ideas. However, when including misleading information that might have a basis in truth but is utilized manipulatively, the scale of the problem becomes significantly larger, affecting a higher percentage of content consumed by individuals.
Measuring the Crisis: Visibility and Exposure
The estimates on the prevalence of misinformation are complex and vary widely. Research indicates that while intentionally misleading news constitutes about 1% to 5% of news consumption, more broadly defined misleading information could account for up to 30% of what individuals encounter online. There is a significant challenge in tracking total exposure to misinformation across different platforms like social media and traditional media, as there is a lack of comprehensive data from private companies. This uncertainty raises questions about whether current estimates may underestimate overall exposure to misinformation.
Debating the Existence of a Misinformation Crisis
One perspective discussed in the podcast suggests that the harms attributed to misinformation have been exaggerated by the media and academia. Hugo Mercier argues that misinformation does not significantly influence beliefs since people tend to seek out information that confirms their existing views rather than being easily persuaded by false information. He contends that even high-profile misinformation, such as the claims surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential election, primarily reinforces pre-existing biases rather than creating them. This viewpoint contrasts with the belief that misinformation poses serious risks to health and democracy, indicating a fundamental disagreement about its impact.
The Psychological Underpinnings of Misinformation Acceptance
Another significant point made is about human cognition and communication in adopting beliefs shaped by misinformation. Mercier stresses that humans are not inherently gullible, positing that society evolved communication skills beneficial for survival, meaning misinformation tends to have minimal impact. While Sander emphasizes the influence of misinformation on decisions like vaccination hesitancy, Mercier responds that demand for misinformation often arises due to existing biases rather than the misinformation itself persuading individuals. This discourse illustrates the complexity of the relationship between misinformation, individual beliefs, and societal behavior, underscoring the need for further research into these dynamics.
This week on Entanglements: Is the misinformation crisis overblown? Our hosts explore this question in conversations with a social psychologist from the University of Cambridge and a cognitive scientist from the Intstitut Jean Nicod.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode