Misinformation is widespread, but only some people fall for the false information they encounter. This raises two questions: Who falls for misinformation, and why do they fall for misinformation? To address these questions, two studies investigated associations between 15 individual-difference dimensions and judgments of misinformation as true. Using Signal Detection Theory, the studies further investigated whether the obtained associations are driven by individual differences in truth sensitivity, acceptance threshold, or myside bias. For both political misinformation (Study 1) and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines (Study 2), truth sensitivity was positively associated with cognitive reflection and actively open-minded thinking, and negatively associated with bullshit receptivity and conspiracy mentality. Although acceptance threshold and myside bias explained considerable variance in judgments of misinformation as true, neither showed robust associations with the measured individual-difference dimensions. The findings provide deeper insights into individual differences in misinformation susceptibility and uncover critical gaps in their scientific understanding.
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tl;dr - literally idiots fall for misinfo.
Summary on "Who Falls for Misinformation and Why?" by Hubeny, Nahon, Ng, and Gawronski.
Study Overview
This research investigated who falls for misinformation and why, using Signal Detection Theory (SDT) to identify three distinct factors affecting misinformation susceptibility:
Truth sensitivity: Ability to distinguish true from false information
Acceptance threshold: General tendency to accept information as true
Myside bias: Tendency to accept information congruent with one's views
The researchers conducted two studies examining associations between 15 individual-difference dimensions and misinformation susceptibility: Study 1 with political misinformation (274 participants) and Study 2 with COVID-19 vaccine misinformation (222 participants).
Key Findings
Who Falls for Misinformation
People were more likely to believe misinformation if they had:
Lower cognitive reflection abilities
Lower actively open-minded thinking
Higher bullshit receptivity (tendency to find random statements profound)
Higher conspiracy mentality
Why They Fall for Misinformation
The research revealed these associations were primarily driven by differences in truth sensitivity. People with high cognitive reflection and actively open-minded thinking showed better ability to distinguish true from false information, while those high in bullshit receptivity and conspiracy mentality showed poorer ability.
A bifactor model analysis revealed these four dimensions are largely driven by a single underlying factor the authors call "reflective open-mindedness."
Acceptance Threshold and Myside Bias
While individual differences in acceptance threshold and myside bias both contributed to misinformation susceptibility, none of the 15 individual-difference dimensions showed reliable associations with these factors across both studies.
Theoretical Contributions
Demonstrates that multiple factors affect misinformation susceptibility
Shows that analytical reasoning (cognitive reflection, AOT) may reduce misinformation belief through improved truth sensitivity, but is unlikely to affect belief driven by low acceptance threshold or myside bias
Identifies a major gap in understanding individual differences in acceptance threshold and myside bias
Provides evidence for general propensities to fall for misinformation across different content domains
This research suggests that while we understand what makes people better at distinguishing true from false information (truth sensitivity), we don't yet understand what makes some people have higher acceptance thresholds or show stronger myside bias.