Endorsing easily disproved lies acts as a psychological 'power move' for some
New research suggests that some people consider it a ‘win’ to lean in to known falsehoods, a mindset strongly associated with authoritarian attitudes and beliefs that some groups should dominate others. These links help explain why strongman leaders often use misinformation symbolically to impress and control a population.
PsyPost.org
Why do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved? It’s one thing to believe false information, but another to actively stick with something that’s obviously wrong.
Our new research, published in the Journal of Social Psychology, suggests that some people consider it a “win” to lean in to known falsehoods.
We are social psychologists who study political psychology and how people reason about reality. During the pandemic, we surveyed 5,535 people across eight countries to investigate why people believed COVID-19 misinformation, like false claims that 5G networks cause the virus.
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