Misinformation

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, whether shared deliberately or unintentionally. It can spread through mistaken reporting, rumors, or intentional deception.

Disinformation: False information deliberately created or shared to deceive or manipulate. Unlike misinformation, disinformation involves an intent to mislead.
Information cascade: A process in which people copy earlier choices or claims, allowing a belief to spread despite limited independent evidence. Repeated sharing can make a false claim look widely confirmed.
Fact-checking: The process of assessing factual claims against evidence and reliable sources. Fact-checkers investigate whether specific circulating claims are accurate.
Vaccine hesitancy: Delay in accepting or refusal of vaccines despite their availability. Misinformation about vaccine safety can contribute to delayed or refused vaccination.
Correction (psychology): The study of how people respond when inaccurate beliefs or claims are explicitly corrected. Corrections can reduce belief, but their effects vary with context and presentation.
Malinformation: Genuine information used out of context or disclosed to cause harm. It can cause similar damage without relying on falsehood.
Confirmation bias: The tendency to seek, interpret, and remember evidence in ways that favor existing beliefs. It makes congenial misinformation easier to accept and retain.
Prebunking: A prevention approach that teaches people to recognize misleading techniques before encountering specific claims. It prepares people to resist misinformation tactics before exposure.
Election denial: The rejection of an election’s legitimacy, often through unsupported claims of fraud or irregularity. False claims about voting can undermine confidence in election results.
Backfire effect: The proposed tendency for a correction to strengthen a mistaken belief it was meant to weaken. This once-prominent explanation is less common than early accounts suggested, and remains context-dependent.

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