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Beyond misinformation: Understanding and coping with the “post-truth” era.

2017/10/12 by Stephan Lewandowsky, Ullrich K. H. Ecker, John Cook · 1 voice · 1,963 citations
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Context (archaeology) #Epistemology #History #Law #Media Influence and Health #Misinformation #Misinformation and Its Impacts #Political science #Politics #Post truth #Psychology #Public relations #Social Media and Politics #Social media #Social psychology

paper · open access · doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.07.008

published in Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition 6(4), 353-369 (Elsevier BV)

openalex publication_date 2017/10/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

The terms “post-truth” and “fake news” have become increasingly prevalent in public discourse over the last year. This article explores the growing abundance of misinformation, how it influences people, and how to counter it. We examine the ways in which misinformation can have an adverse impact on society. We summarize how people respond to corrections of misinformation, and what kinds of corrections are most effective. We argue that to be effective, scientific research into misinformation must be considered within a larger political, technological, and societal context. The post-truth world emerged as a result of societal mega-trends such as a decline in social capital, growing economic inequality, increased polarization, declining trust in science, and an increasingly fractionated media landscape. We suggest that responses to this malaise must involve technological solutions incorporating psychological principles, an interdisciplinary approach that we describe as “technocognition.” We outline a number of recommendations to counter misinformation in a post-truth world.

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