The Psychology of Fake News: Accepting, Sharing, and Correcting Misinformation

by Rainer Greifeneder (Editor), Mariela Jaffe (Editor), Eryn Newman (Editor)

This volume examines the phenomenon of fake news by bringing together leading experts from different fields within psychology and related areas, and explores what has become a prominent feature of public discourse since the first Brexit referendum and the 2016 US election campaign.
Dealing with misinformation is important in many areas of daily life, including politics, the marketplace, health communication, journalism, education, and science. In a general climate where facts and misinformation blur, and are intentionally blurred, this book asks what determines whether people accept and share (mis)information, and what can be done to counter misinformation? All three of these aspects need to be understood in the context of online social networks, which have fundamentally changed the way information is produced, consumed, and transmitted. The contributions within this volume summarize the most up-to-date empirical findings, theories, and applications and discuss cutting-edge ideas and future directions of interventions to counter fake news.
Also providing guidance on how to handle misinformation in an age of “alternative facts”, this is a fascinating and vital reading for students and academics in psychology, communication, and political science and for professionals including policy makers and journalists.
 
 

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Politics, Current Affairs, Social Science

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2020

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not easy to read and will appeal to only some. It does detail the rise and impact of what is referred to as 'fake news' and 'disinformation', especially in the digital age in politics, science, and other aspects of our lives. Different authors present each chapter, and some detailed research is included.

[Tilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

det är en nischad bok, rätt svårläst och tung. inte en bok som man läser för rent nöjes skull. (inte jag i alla fall)

[T.A.]

DNF at about 20% in I gave up. I was hoping for a book for the layperson to try and understand the psychology behind fake news and why some people believe it.

It was something that came to the forefront for me during the lockdown seeing so many people who I knew were smart and decent people suddenly start sharing articles that were giving false information. I wanted to understand how it could happen and was I susceptible myself.

This book is not the book I was looking for. It is probably great if you are doing a course on the subject or used to reading academic papers but there was just too much dry information for me so I couldn’t get past it.

If anyone knows of anything that covers this from a more layperson view point please let me know.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is not well named. It is not only about the psychology of fake news but about the process and nature of fake news. The book contains a wealth of useful detail that helps you understand how fake. news affects you (as an individual) and society.

The book is not easy to read and requires concentration. It is a good book to read and should be a part of your reading list if you want to understand how fake news spreads through society.

[Stephen Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The twelve chapters are all written by different authors and focus on specific aspects of fake news. The book is split up into 3 main parts which explore 1) how fake news travels through social networks and its effects, 2) the cognitive processes involved in handling fake news, and 3) motivational processes of handling fake news.

The impression I got after reading it through once is that each chapter was well researched and informative. My main complaint is about the citation method used. Placing the studies in the sentences made some parts difficult to read. Footnotes would have been a better choice in my opinion.

Overall I enjoyed it and I can see myself revisiting it again in the future.