Disentangling the Effect of Confirmation Bias and Media Literacy on Social Media Users' Susceptibility to Fake News

Q2 Social Sciences Journal of Content, Community and Communication Pub Date : 2023-06-30 DOI:10.31620/jccc.06.23/03

Amit Verma, Abhishika Sharma, Ashish Sharma, Arun Prakash, Arnab Das

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Abstract

This study explores the effects of confirmation bias, media literacy, and cognitive abilities on social media users' fake news susceptibility. The objective is to disentangle the complex relationships among these factors to understand the underlying mechanisms contributing to the spread of misinformation. Data collection involved an online questionnaire distributed on diverse social media platforms using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. A total of 500 participants from urban cities in India completed the survey, providing a robust sample for subsequent data analysis. SEM was employed to test the research hypothesis. Findings reveal a significant negative relationship between confirmation bias and susceptibility to fake news, while media literacy demonstrates a significant positive relationship. Cognitive abilities, however, show no significant relationship with susceptibility to fake news. This research paper contributes to the field of media studies by disentangling the effects of confirmation bias and media literacy on social media users' susceptibility to fake news. The findings provide insights into the underlying mechanisms influencing the spread of misinformation and highlight the significance of promoting media literacy and addressing confirmation bias in combating fake news.

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确认偏见和媒介素养对社交媒体用户假新闻易感性的影响

本研究探讨确认偏误、媒介素养和认知能力对社交媒体用户假新闻敏感性的影响。目的是理清这些因素之间的复杂关系，以了解导致错误信息传播的潜在机制。数据收集包括使用便利和滚雪球抽样相结合的方式在不同的社交媒体平台上分发在线问卷。来自印度城市的500名参与者完成了调查，为后续的数据分析提供了强有力的样本。采用扫描电镜对研究假设进行检验。研究结果显示，确认偏见与假新闻易感性之间存在显著的负相关关系，而媒体素养与假新闻易感性之间存在显著的正相关关系。然而，认知能力与对假新闻的易感性没有显著关系。本研究通过理清确认偏见和媒体素养对社交媒体用户对假新闻易感性的影响，为媒体研究领域做出了贡献。这些发现为了解影响错误信息传播的潜在机制提供了见解，并强调了在打击假新闻中提高媒体素养和解决确认偏见的重要性。

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来源期刊

Journal of Content, Community and Communication Social Sciences-Communication

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Amity School of Communication, AUMP, Gwalior is publishing a bi-annual referred and peer-reviewed journal named “Journal of Content, Community & Communication”. The Journal of Content, Community & Communication aims at delving into inquiry into and providing a forum for discussion pertaining to contemporary communication issues within wider social, economic, cultural and technological contexts. The journal promotes analyzing contemporary communication issues in new light and research. It will aim at bringing to the surface, innovative ways of research to initiate a dialogue on an array of subject matters in the field of communication theory and practice. The journal will engage in a wide range of themes in the media studies, digital media, and communication management among others.