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Online searches to evaluate misinformation can increase its perceived veracity
Kevin Aslett1, Zeve Sanderson2, William Godel2
1School of Politics, Security and International Affairs, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. kevin.aslett@ucf.edu.
Nature
|December 20, 2023
Summary
Searching online to verify false news surprisingly increases belief in it. This occurs when search engines provide low-quality information, creating "data voids" that reinforce misinformation. Media literacy needs evidence-based strategies.
Area of Science:
- Information Science
- Media Psychology
- Digital Literacy
Background:
- Scholarly focus on misinformation has centered on social networks, neglecting search engines' role.
- Online search is a key component of media literacy, yet its impact on belief is under-researched.
- Conventional wisdom suggests online searching reduces belief in misinformation, but empirical evidence is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically investigate the effect of online search on belief in misinformation.
- To understand the mechanisms behind search engine use and its influence on information veracity.
- To identify user groups most susceptible to the effects of online search on belief.
Main Methods:
- Five experiments were conducted to test the relationship between online search and belief.
- Survey data was combined with digital trace data from a custom browser extension.
- Analysis focused on the quality of information returned by search engines.
Main Results:
- Online search to evaluate false news increased belief in it.
- This effect was concentrated among users receiving low-quality search results.
- Users risked falling into "data voids" with corroborating low-quality sources.
- Online search increased belief in true news from low-quality sources.
Conclusions:
- Online search to verify information can paradoxically increase belief in misinformation.
- Search engine results quality significantly influences belief formation.
- Media literacy programs require empirically validated strategies for online information evaluation.
- Search engines need to address the issue of low-quality information and data voids.
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