The spread of fake science: Lexical concreteness, proximity, misinformation sharing, and the moderating role of subjective knowledge

Item Type

Language

English

Abstract

The spread of science misinformation harms efforts to mitigate threats like climate change or coronavirus. Construal-level theory suggests that mediated messages can prime psychological proximity to threats, having consequences for behavior. Via two MTurk experiments, I tested a serial mediation process model predicting misinformation sharing from lexical concreteness, through psychological proximity and perceived threat. In Study 1, concrete misinformation primed psychological proximity which, in turn, increased perceived threat. Perceived threat then increased the likelihood that misinformation would be shared. Source credibility was also shown to positively influence misinformation sharing. Study 2 advanced this by showing this process was moderated by subjective knowledge. Specifically, the effect of perceived threat on misinformation sharing was stronger for those with higher subjective knowledge. Furthermore, the indirect effect of lexical concreteness on misinformation sharing was stronger for those with higher subjective knowledge. Results and limitations are discussed within the lens of construal-level theory and science communication.

Publication Year

2020

Publication Date

2020-10-24

Journal abreviation

Public Underst Sci

Source

SAGE Journals

License

ISSN

0963-6625

Physical Description

pp.0963662520966165

Short Title

The spread of fake science

Citer cette ressource

The spread of fake science: Lexical concreteness, proximity, misinformation sharing, and the moderating role of subjective knowledge, dans Science & Ignorance, consulté le 18 Janvier 2025, https://ignorancestudies.inist.fr/s/science-ignorance/item/4895

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