The temporal and biological factors of our vulnerability to disinformation

Collective intelligence and a deliberative democratic system rest on the shoulders of a public free access to unbiased and diverse information. Social media has become a source of news and an important factor in opinion-formation. However, social media is not a neutral terrain but can be a platform for political manipulation.

This project aims to understand the cognitive, socio-affective, and neurobiological factors impacting our judgement of and response to information.This can conclude to behavioural recommendations that empower us to protect ourselves from manipulation and disinformation, and a targeted design of interventions to prevent their spread and the effective allocation of resources to protect those most vulnerable.

Output

Paper (aiming for Communication, Nature Human Behavior or similar)

Project Partners:

• ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Elisabeth Stockinger
• Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Riccardo Gallotti

Primary Contact: Elisabeth Stockinger, ETH Zurich