Work

Not all bullshit pondered is tossed: Reflection decreases receptivity to some types of misleading information but not others

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Across three studies (N = 659), we present evidence that engaging in explanatory reflection reduces receptivity to pseudo‐profound bullshit but not scientific bullshit or fake news. Additionally, ratings for pseudo‐profound and scientific bullshit attributed to authoritative sources were significantly inflated compared to bullshit from anonymous sources. These findings provide initial evidence that asking people to reflect on why they find certain statements meaningful (or not) helps reduce receptivity to some types of misinformation but not others. Moreover, the appeal of misleading claims spread by perceived experts may be largely immune to the putative benefits of interventions that rely solely on reflective thinking. Taken together, our results suggest that while encouraging the public to be more reflective can certainly be helpful as a general rule, the effectiveness of this strategy in reducing the persuasiveness of misleading or otherwise epistemically‐suspect claims is limited by the type of claims being evaluated.

Source: Applied Cognitive Psychology

DOI: 10.1002/acp.4154

Authors: Shane Littrell, Ethan A. Meyers, Jonathan A. Fugelsang

Institution: University of Waterloo

Language: English

Topic: Misinformation and Its Impacts

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,630

Funder: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada