Psychological vaccines and online persuasion by (mis)information
The socio-cognitive factors that increase beliefs in fake news and how to prevent it
Talk by Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg, University of Cambridge.
Misinformation currently represents one of society’s most pressing global threats, and much like a viral contagion, misinformation can spread rapidly from one individual to another. But how do individuals decide whether information online is true or false; and importantly, how can we prevent individuals from being persuaded by fake news? In this talk, I discuss a series of studies in which we sought to uncover how social mechanisms impact the cognitive process involved in persuasion online. Rooted in a 1960’s communication theory, I further outline how “psychological vaccines against brainwashing” have been advanced and applied to tackling misinformation and the unanswered questions that remain about their true efficacy.
About
Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg is a PhD Candidate in Psychology at the University of Cambridge. Her work integrates cognitive science and social psychology perspectives to understand how people interpret and reason about information in online contexts.
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