Believing misinformation is a “win” for some people, even when proven false

Believing misinformation is a “win” for some people, even when proven false

“Winning” means prioritizing independence from outside influence over being right.

Winning with misinformation: New research identifies link between endorsing easily disproven claims and prioritizing symbolic strength

Conversations around misinformation that assume everyone cares about literal truth may be missing the point.

New research identifies link between endorsing easily disproven claims and prioritizing symbolic strength - Tech and Science Post

Why do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved? It’s one thing to believe false information, but another to actively stick with something that’s obviously wrong. Our new research, published in the Journal of Social Psychology, suggests that some people consider it a “win” to lean in to known falsehoods. We are social psychologists who study political psychology and how people reason about reality. During the pandemic, we surveyed…