Fake news believability: The effects of political beliefs and espoused cultural values
Information and Management
; 60(2), 2023.
Article
in English
| Scopus | ID: covidwho-2241194
ABSTRACT
Fake news has led to a polarized society as evidenced by diametrically opposed perceptions of and reactions to global events such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and presidential campaigns. Popular press has linked individuals' political beliefs and cultural values to the extent to which they believe in false content shared on social networking sites (SNS). However, sweeping generalizations run the risk of helping exacerbate divisiveness in already polarized societies. This study examines the effects of individuals' political beliefs and espoused cultural values on fake news believability using a repeated-measures design (that exposes individuals to a variety of fake news scenarios). Results from online questionnaire-based survey data collected from participants in the US and India help confirm that conservative individuals tend to exhibit increasing fake news believability and show that collectivists tend to do the same. This study advances knowledge on characteristics that make individuals more susceptible to lending credence to fake news. In addition, this study explores the influence exerted by control variables (i.e., age, sex, and Internet usage). Findings are used to provide implications for theory as well as actionable insights. © 2022 The Author(s)
Fake detection; Social networking (online); Cultural value; Espoused cultural value; Fake news believability; Generalisation; Online questionnaire; Political belief; Repeated measures; Social media; Social networking site; Social-networking; COVID-19; Espoused cultural values; Political beliefs; Social networking sites
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
Scopus
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Language:
English
Journal:
Information and Management
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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