The Psychology of Misinformation

by Jon Roozenbeek, Sander van der Linden

King Charles III is Dracula's distant cousin. Governments are hiding information about UFOs. COVID-19 came from outer space. These sound like absurd statements, but some are true, and others are misinformation. But what exactly is misinformation? Who believes and spreads things that aren't true, and why? What solutions do we have available, and how well do they work? This book answers all these questions and more. Tackling the science of misinformation from its evolutionary origins to its role in the internet era, this book translates rigorous research on misleading information into a comprehensive and jargon-free explanation. Whether you are a student, researcher, policymaker, or changemaker, you will discover an easy-to-read analysis on human belief in today's world and expert advice on how to prevent deception.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

194 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2024

Reviews

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book seems to be framed within a factual context, which raises expectations regarding documentation and evidence. For me, those expectations were not met.

Several claims feel insufficiently supported and lean more toward interpretation than well grounded analysis. Because of that, I found it difficult to fully trust the narrative and chose not to finish it.
@booksherlocked

[Owen Applegate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good introduction to understanding misinformation. Very baseline but that makes it very accessible, no background on psychology is needed