Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Post-Movie Subliminal Measurement (PMSM), for Investigating Implicit Social Bias
Published on: February 29, 2020
The limited effects of social media use on misperceptions Social media's limited role in misperceptions
Qin Li1, Robert M Bond1, Erik Nisbet2
1School of Communication, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
Abstract:
Social media use has the potential to promote misperceptions, but evidence is mixed. Despite social media characteristics that include homophilous social networks, algorithms that can reinforce biases, and social bots that promote falsehoods, there is no evidence of a strong association between social media use and misperceptions. This project offers the strongest empirical test of this relation to date, providing additional evidence of the minimal effects of social media use on misperceptions. Data come from two independent large-N panel studies, each paired with online tracking data, one focused on the 2020 election and the other on the COVID-19 pandemic. Within-between regression models show that social media use was not associated with a statistically significant decline in Americans' ability to discriminate between true and false claims on any of the four platforms examined-Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
Related Concept Videos
Introducing Social Perception
Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication
First Impression
Social Exchange Theory
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes