The Psychology of Misinformation: How People Process Fake News on Social Media

Abstract

This study explores the psychological underpinnings of misinformation processing on social media, focusing on the role of cognitive biases—specifically confirmation bias and motivated reasoning—in shaping individuals’ belief in fake news. Using an experimental design, 200 participants were exposed to both real and fabricated news articles, with belief levels assessed before and after exposure. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation between cognitive bias scores and susceptibility to misinformation, confirming that individuals with higher bias levels are more likely to accept and trust false information. Regression analysis demonstrated that confirmation bias significantly heightened belief in fake news, while motivated reasoning reinforced acceptance of content aligned with personal or ideological preferences. These results support dual-system theory, highlighting the dominance of fast, intuitive thinking (System 1) in social media environments that encourage rapid, uncritical judgments. The study emphasizes the importance of media literacy interventions and platform-level strategies such as fact-checking and debunking to mitigate the impact of cognitive biases. Although limited by reliance on self-reported measures and demographic scope, this research contributes to understanding how psychological mechanisms amplify misinformation, offering theoretical and practical insights into combating fake news in the digital age.