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the claim

The belief and spread of misinformation can be explained by factors such as moral values and motivated reasoning in addition to ignorance.

the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
Recorded sources
5 sources for · 0 against

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Is it true that the belief and spread of misinformation can be explained by factors such as moral values and motivated reasoning in addition to ignorance?

Yes. The literature consistently indicates that belief in and spread of misinformation are driven by psychological mechanisms like motivated reasoning, cognitive biases, and ideological predispositions rather than mere ignorance.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 5 sources for, 0 against · Last checked

The analysis

The retrieved papers examine the determinants of misinformation susceptibility and clearly support the claim that factors such as motivated reasoning, cognitive styles, political identity, and psychological predispositions explain belief in false information beyond simple a lack of knowledge or information literacy.

Evidence for · 5
Determinants of individuals’ belief in fake news: A scoping review determinants of belief in fake news
2021
Identifies individual psychological predispositions and cognitive styles alongside information literacy as key drivers of misinformation belief.
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Bryanov, K. & Vziatysheva, V. (2021). Determinants of individuals’ belief in fake news: A scoping review determinants of belief in fake news. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253717

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More for · 4
Social Psychological Predictors of Belief in Fake News in the Run-Up to the 2019 Hungarian Elections: The Importance of Conspiracy Mentality Supports the Notion of Ideological Symmetry in Fake News Belief
2021
Demonstrates that motivated reasoning based on political identity and psychological factors like conspiracy mentality help explain susceptibility to false information.
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Szebeni, Z., Lönnqvist, J., & Jasinskaja-Lahti, I. (2021). Social Psychological Predictors of Belief in Fake News in the Run-Up to the 2019 Hungarian Elections: The Importance of Conspiracy Mentality Supports the Notion of Ideological Symmetry in Fake News Belief. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.790848

Effects of Misinformation on Election Beliefs: Disentangling Motivated Reasoning from Selective Exposure
2022
Shows that misinformation effects are asymmetric and consistent with motivated reasoning, varying by political orientation and preexisting beliefs.
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Dahlke, R. & Hancock, J. (2022). Effects of Misinformation on Election Beliefs:  Disentangling Motivated Reasoning from Selective Exposure. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/325tn

The Trigger Effect: Cognitive Biases and Fake News
2019
Finds that cognitive biases and heuristic-driven impulsive reactions to content fitting preexisting views contribute to the spread of false information.
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Ostillio, T. (2019). The Trigger Effect: Cognitive Biases and Fake News. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.18778/1689-4286.44.06

Political identity, algorithmic news exposure, and trust in digital media: the sequential mediating associations of motivated reasoning and misinformation susceptibility.
2026
Provides evidence that political identity-driven motivated reasoning is positively associated with misinformation susceptibility.
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S, L. (2026). Political identity, algorithmic news exposure, and trust in digital media: the sequential mediating associations of motivated reasoning and misinformation susceptibility.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1900098

What does the evidence say?

The retrieved papers examine the determinants of misinformation susceptibility and clearly support the claim that factors such as motivated reasoning, cognitive styles, political identity, and psychological predispositions explain belief in false information beyond simple a lack of knowledge or information literacy.

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