Fake news and unfunded beliefs in the post-truth age
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Abstract
The dissemination of fake news embodies a pressing problem for democracy that is exacerbated by the
ubiquity of information available on the Internet and by the exploitation of those who, appealing to the
emotionality of audiences, have capitalized on the injection of falsehoods into the social fabric. In this
study, through a cross-sectional, correlational and non-experimental design, the relationship between
credibility in the face of fake news and some types of dysfunctional thoughts was explored in a sample
of Chilean university students. The results reveal that greater credibility in fake news is associated with
higher scores of magical, esoteric and naively optimistic thinking, beliefs that would be the meeting
point for a series of cognitive biases that operate in the processing of information. The highest correlation
is found with the paranormal beliefs facet and, particularly, with ideas about the laws of mental
attraction, telepathy and clairvoyance. Significant differences were also found in credibility in fake news
as a function of the gender of the participants, with the female gender scoring higher on average than
the male gender. These findings highlight the need to promote critical thinking, skepticism and scientific
attitude in all segments of society.
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