Profiling misinformation susceptibility

Abstract

The global spread of misinformation poses a serious threat to the functioning of societies worldwide. But who falls for it? In this study, 66,242 individuals from 24 countries completed the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST) and indicated their self-perceived misinformation discernment ability. Multilevel modelling showed that Generation Z, non-male, less educated, and more conservative individuals were more vulnerable to misinformation. Furthermore, while individuals' confidence in detecting misinformation was generally associated with better actual discernment, the degree to which perceived ability matched actual ability varied across subgroups. That is, whereas women were especially accurate in assessing their ability, extreme conservatives' perceived ability showed little relation to their actual misinformation discernment. Meanwhile, across all generations, Gen Z perceived their misinformation discernment ability most accurately, despite performing worst on the test. Taken together, our analyses provide the first systematic and holistic profile of misinformation susceptibility.