APS

APS Virtual Poster Showcase · 2020

Political Knowledge Protects Against Susceptibility to Political Fake News

Virtual · June 2020

Poster Sessions · Cognitive

  • Dustin Calvillo
    California State University, San Marcos
  • Pooja Punjabi
    California State University San Marcos
  • Alexis Avina
    California State University San Marcos
  • Thomas Smelter
    California State University, San Marcos

Abstract

This study examined how political knowledge affects participants’ accuracy judgments of real and fake political news. Participants with greater political knowledge were better able to discern between real and fake news. Participants were also biased by their ideology. They rated ideologically consistent headlines as more accurate than ideologically inconsistent headlines.

Judgment and Decision Making