How Political Misinformation Spreads

Most of the American public agrees that they do not trust politicians. It's a well-known stereotype that politicians are all pathological liars, and some of them are better than others at hiding it. However, if this is the case, then how does political misinformation spread? It all comes down to how the brain filters information, and how it is affected by in-group bias. This article from Explore Psychology defines in-group bias as "the tendency of people to favor their own group above that of others. It causes people to give preferences and privileges to members of their own group while often excluding those from other groups." This bias doesn't just apply to people, it also applies to ideas. If someone believes certain ideas from a group, like a political party, they are more likely to believe other ideas from that group. Thus, when someone who is conservative or liberal watches something from a news site that aligns with their biases, they are less likely to thoroughly scrutinize it.

[1 image, 1 link, 1 quotation, 168 words]