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Cognitive Reflection

Cognitive reflection refers to the propensity to engage in analytical, deliberative thinking rather than relying on intuitive responses. Often measured using the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), which presents problems with intuitively compelling but incorrect answers, requiring analytical override to solve correctly.

Key finding

Research shows that individual differences in cognitive reflection—as measured by the CRT—predict a wide range of real-world outcomes relevant to misinformation, including susceptibility to false news, conspiracy theories, and other epistemically suspect beliefs. Beyond beliefs, cognitive reflection also predicts actual social media behavior: higher CRT scorers are more discerning in which accounts they follow and which news sources they share.

Key videos

  • Accuracy, Reasoning, and Misinformation — Presents empirical findings from 40+ studies with 25,000+ participants showing Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) as a strong predictor of misinformation resistance: higher CRT scorers better distinguish true from false headlines, less likely to share false headlines, and actually share less political misinformation on Twitter; proposes accuracy-nudge interventions as scalable, decentralized alternative to gatekeeping

Key papers