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The Moral Psychology of Misinformation: Why We Excuse Dishonesty in a Post-Truth World

Journal

Current Opinion in Psychology

Subject

Organisational Behaviour

Publishing details

Current Opinion in Psychology 2022 October Vol 47 In Press

Authors / Editors

Effron D A;Helgason B

Biographies

Daniel Effron

Publication Year

2022

Abstract

Commentators say we have entered a “post-truth” era. As political lies and “fake news” flourish, citizens appear not only to believe misinformation, but also to condone misinformation they do not believe. The present article reviews recent research on three psychological factors that encourage people to condone misinformation: partisanship, imagination, and repetition. Each factor relates to a hallmark of “post-truth” society: political polarization, leaders who push “alterative facts,” and technology that amplifies disinformation. By lowering moral standards, convincing people that a lie’s “gist” is true, or dulling affective reactions, these factors not only reduce moral condemnation of misinformation, but can also amplify partisan disagreement. We discuss implications for reducing the spread of misinformation.

Keywords

Misinformation; fake news; post-truth; moral psychology; dishonesty; political polarization

Available on ECCH

No


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