Feb 29, 2020 13:00:00

People with low cognitive ability are more likely to believe fake news closer to their thoughts, and may even create `` false memories ''

Fake news spread on social media and bulletin boards not only confuses and discourages people's decisions, but can also cause serious social division. Research published by researchers in Ireland and the United States has shown that people are more likely to believe fake news according to their own thoughts and even create 'false memories'.

False Memories for Fake News During Ireland's Abortion Referendum-Gillian Murphy, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Rebecca Hofstein Grady, Linda J. Levine, Ciara M. Greene, 2019

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797619864887

Fake News Can Lead to False Memories – Association for Psychological Science – APS
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/fake-news-can-lead-to-false-memories.html

To investigate the effects of fake news on real-world voting and the formation of personal memory, the research team recruited 3410 voters living in Ireland online. In Ireland, a referendum on legalization of artificial abortion was held in May 2018, and it has been decided that artificial abortion will be legalized .

The experiment was conducted in the week before the referendum was held, and the research team asked participants whether to vote for or against the artificial abortion legalization referendum. I asked. After that, the research team showed participants six pieces of news about legalizing abortion.

The six news included one scandal for those who favored abortion and one scandal for those who opposed abortion. These news was that each supporter was involved in illegal activities and problematic behavior, but in fact the two news were 'fake news' created by the research team.

The research team asked participants who read about the six news items, 'had you read or heard these news items before,' or 'remembered any special news events?' As a result, about half of the participants said that they had `` memory they have seen or heard before '' about fake news created by the research team, and more than one-third said `` memory of related events '' There is. '

Researchers also pointed out that memories of the two fake news were determined by their stance on whether or not they agreed to legalize abortion. Those who agree with the legalization of artificial abortion are more likely to remember the fake news of `` scandals caused by people opposing artificial abortion '' and those who oppose the legalization of artificial abortion are `` The proportion of respondents who said they remember the fake news of 'scandals caused by people in favor of artificial abortion legalization' was high.

After asking the memory about the news, the research team told the participants that `` the fake news may be included in the six news '', but the participants still fake at a high rate He continued to say he remembered the news.

In addition, the research team also conducted cognitive ability tests on participants, analyzing the results of the test against responses to fake news memories. As a result, it was also found that 'participants who scored low in the cognitive ability test are more likely to answer' remember 'fake news.' The cognitive ability test results did not seem to be related to the rate of creating 'false memories', but 'this finding raises the question that people with higher cognitive ability question the truth of the news they saw and heard and their own prejudice. It's easy to do, 'the research team argues.

Elizabeth Loftus , a cognitive psychologist at the University of California at Irvine, who participated in the study, said, `` People act based on their own 'false memories', which are 'false memories'. It's difficult to convince. ' As the technology for producing sophisticated fake news evolves, it is important to understand the implications of fake news on people's psychology.

Gillian Murphy , the lead author of the paper and a lecturer on applied psychology at University College Cork , a national university in Ireland, said, `` Parties that are highly emotional, such as the 2020 United States presidential election. In political controversies, voters may 'remember' the false memories created. ''Votors are more likely to remember scandals, especially against hostile candidates.' Pointed out.

The research team is planning to further enhance the study by conducting a referendum on the UK leaving the European Union and investigating how 'false memory' has influenced the #MeToo movement . .