Who Falls For Fake News Study Reveals Surprising Patterns

Summary: A global study of over 66,000 people reveals that susceptibility to misinformation varies across age, gender, education, and political ideology. Participants took a test to judge whether news headlines were real or fake, and those in Generation Z, women, conservatives, and less-educated individuals were more likely to believe misinformation. Interestingly, many were accurate in assessing their own limitations—Gen Z and women, in particular, recognized their weaknesses, while those with more education tended to overestimate their skills. These findings highlight the need for targeted media literacy efforts and proactive policies to combat the spread of fake news. A global study of more than 66,000 participants has revealed which groups of people are most susceptible to misinformation. Study participants assessed news headlines and tried to judge whether they were real or fake.

On average, people had a harder time distinguishing between real and fake if they were: However, some groups were more self-aware than others about their shortcomings in spotting misinformation. New research reveals who is most at risk, as a first step toward effective strategies for counteracting misinformation. A global study of more than 66,000 participants has revealed which groups of people are most susceptible to misinformation. Study participants assessed news headlines and tried to judge whether they were real or fake. On average, people had a harder time distinguishing between real and fake if they were:

However, some groups were more self-aware than others about their shortcomings in spotting misinformation. “No matter who you are, no matter what you think you know, none of us is immune to misinformation,” said Dr. Friedrich Götz, assistant professor of psychology at the University of B.C. and the study’s senior author. “People should realize that all of us are exposed to misinformation on a regular basis, and all of us are likely to fall for it at some point.” Fake news is everywhere, and in a world flooded with information, sorting fact from fiction has never been more difficult – or more important.

A new study based on over 66,000 participants across 96 countries sheds light on who struggles most to spot fake news and who might not be as good at identifying misinformation as they think... The research, conducted by scientists from the University of British Columbia and the University of Cambridge, used a tool called the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST). The tool allows scientists to uncover both how well different groups can identify fake news and how accurately they judge their own abilities. It’s a common assumption that younger generations – especially Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012 – are better equipped to navigate digital content. But the study suggests otherwise. Clinical relevance: Age, education, gender, and (of course) political leanings all play critical roles in who falls for fake news — and who just thinks they won’t.

We’ve debated the pros and cons of the rise of the smartphone – and the swarm of social media platforms that followed – almost since its inception. But its legacy will almost certainly be the wildfire of misinformation that its ignited. We now live in an era when the most fringe conspiracy theories have room to breathe (and spread) with a single tweet, Reddit post, or messaging app. In late 2024, as the world watched a U.S. election drowning in “fake news,” a Pew Research Center survey found that more that half of Americans (52%) admitted that “they generally find it difficult to determine what is true and what is not... It should probably come as no surprise then that there’s been a surge of support for a crackdown on misinformation.

A separate Pew survey showed that “the share of U.S. adults who say the federal government should restrict false information has risen from 39% in 2018 to 55% in 2023.” This growing ecosystem of fake news prompted a group of British and Canadian researchers to wonder who’s most susceptible to that misinformation. This study explores how misinformation affects people across various demographics, revealing that groups like Gen Z, women, conservatives, and those with lower educated levels are more susceptible to fake news. [Source: University of British Columbia, “Personality and Individual Differences” study.] The researchers found that participants, on average, overestimated their own limitations while lacking confidence in recognizing misinformation.

However, certain subgroups, such as those with less educated backgrounds and political inclinations, demonstrated higher accuracy in distinguishing lies from the truth. Notably, women and non-male, less educated individuals were more likely to believe in misinformation than men or those with more education. While most people can detect misinformation when they are exposed, self-trust and self-perception play a significant role. For example, Gen Z participants were more self-aware than others, but they demonstrated the ability to spot mistakes more accurately when they were older. Conversely, conservative-leaning individuals showed the highest accuracy in judging what they knew versus what they believed. Ignoring these differences is a common pitfall, as seen in a study where 51% of college students guessed they were typicallyTD: Reference: It’s common to believe that young people are naturally more knowledgeable, but...

[Source: UBC Study] To counteract this, policymakers and media literacy initiatives need to be more targeted. Programs that address misinformation in Gen Z, ensure accurate self-awareness, and provide differentiation of what they know—from retrieving information to discerning fact—are essential. Additionally, managing educators and balancing the detection of fake news with protection of speech are critical. A meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development sheds light on who is most susceptible to online misinformation and why. The study, which synthesized data from 31 experiments involving over 11500 participants and was published on November 2024 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenges common assumptions about education, age, and...

The findings provide critical insights for combating misinformation in an era where nearly five billion people rely on social media for news. Misinformation and false information spread across the internet and social media platforms. It influences public opinions and behaviors. These information can appear in various forms like news articles, graphics or images, and videos. The rise of digital platforms has made it easier for misinformation to spread rapidly, shaping public opinion and decision-making. Researchers M.

Sultan et al. conducted a systematic meta-analysis to examine who is most susceptible to misinformation. They analyzed 31 studies covering over 11500 participants and used individual participant data meta-analysis to evaluate raw data from each study. This approach further enhances the reliability and power of their findings. Note that the study distinguished between two aspects of misinformation susceptibility. One is the ability to tell true news from false news.

The other is response bias, which refers to the tendency to classify news as either true or false. The results reveal surprising patterns. Older adults aged between 48 and 88 demonstrated better discrimination ability than younger adults aged 18 to 31. These participants also exhibited a false-news bias. This means they tend to be more skeptical or unconvinced and often label headlines as false. Systematic meta-analysis on online misinformation with data from over 11,500 participants in 31 experiments

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have identified who is most susceptible to online misinformation and why. Their meta-analysis reveals surprising patterns on how demographic and psychological factors—including age, education, political identity, analytical thinking, and motivated reflection—affect people’s ability to assess the accuracy of information. For instance, individuals with higher levels of education are just as likely to fall for misinformation as those with a lower level of education. The work, published in the journal PNAS, provides important information for theory building and designing interventions. Nearly five billion people worldwide receive their news from social media, and the impact of misinformation—especially on elections—is of increasing concern. Despite extensive research, it remains largely unclear who is particularly vulnerable to misinformation and why.

“There is a lot of research on misinformation right now, but with the volume of work, it has become increasingly difficult to see the connections between different factors,” explains lead author Mubashir Sultan. The doctoral candidate at the Center for Adaptive Rationality researches misinformation and decision-making behavior online. He and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis using data from the US, examining how factors such as education, age, gender, political identity, analytical thinking, partisan bias, motivated reflection, and familiarity with news have an... The researchers found no significant impact of education on people’s ability to distinguish between true and false information. This contradicts the widespread belief that more educated individuals are likely to be less susceptible to misinformation, especially as higher education teaches us critical thinking. The study also challenges assumptions about age and misinformation.

While older adults are often portrayed as more vulnerable to fake news, the analysis found that they were actually better than younger adults at distinguishing between true and false headlines. Older adults were also more skeptical and tended to label headlines as false more often. Paradoxically, however, previous research has consistently shown that older adults engage with and share more misinformation online. Political identity also played a key role. The meta-analysis confirmed previous research showing that individuals who identify as Republicans are more likely to fall for misinformation than those who identify as Democrats. Republicans were less accurate at assessing the veracity of news and tended to label more headlines as true, whereas Democrats were more skeptical.

Individuals with higher analytical thinking skills—that is, who are better at logically evaluating information, identifying patterns, and systematically solving problems—performed better overall and were more skeptical (tending to classify news as false). People were more likely to believe that news that aligned with their political identity was true and to disregard news that was not aligned with their political identity—a phenomenon known as partisan bias. However, a counterintuitive finding was that individuals with higher analytical thinking were actually more susceptible to partisan bias. This tendency is known as motivated reflection, which is a cognitive process where individuals’ analytical reasoning works against them to protect their pre-existing beliefs, values, or partisan affiliations. The strongest effect in the meta-analysis was the influence of familiarity. When participants reported having already seen a news headline, they were more likely to believe it was true.

This finding underscores the danger of repeated exposure to misinformation, particularly on social media.

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