The Power of Technical Language: Does Jargon Use Influence the Credibility of Misinformation?

Abstract

Across two studies, we examined the impact of different levels of jargon on the perceived credibility of texts containing reliable or unreliable information. Study 1 found that higher levels of jargon were associated with increased credibility ratings for unreliable texts. Study 2 showed that higher levels of jargon were also associated with lower processing fluency for both reliable and unreliable texts. Additionally, the high level of jargon was associated with higher credibility ratings compared to text containing no jargon, and those high in conspiracy mentality were more influenced by the amount of jargon when making their credibility ratings. Jargon had a direct effect on increasing credibility, but also indirectly decreased credibility through a decrease in processing fluency. Together, these findings suggest that the presence of technical terms enhances the credibility of even unreliable text, and that individuals with conspiracy mentality leanings are more susceptible to this influence of jargon.