The psychological motivations for sharing misinformation and fake news distinguish between accuracy-oriented motivations (wanting to share true and reliable information) and goal-oriented motivations (seeking to achieve political goals, signal group membership, or disrupt opponents). Research tests which motivations dominate in explaining why individuals share false information on social media.
Key frameworks
Accuracy vs. goal-oriented motivations: While people generally prefer accurate information, they simultaneously seek to share information that furthers their political goals, especially under conditions of high partisan conflict. Osmundsen et al. (2021) show that partisan polarization (not ignorance) is the primary driver of fake news sharing, with individuals deliberately selecting ideologically congruent false content because it attacks political opponents.
Ignorance theory vs. polarization theory: The ignorance hypothesis predicts that people share fake news because they cannot discern false from true claims (due to low cognitive reflection, low media literacy, or factual knowledge gaps). The polarization hypothesis predicts that fake news sharing is motivated primarily by partisan affect—negative feelings toward opposing parties—rather than cognitive deficits. Empirical evidence supports the polarization theory.
Key papers
- 2021-osmundsen-partisan-polarization-fake-news — Tests three competing psychological theories (ignorance, disruption, and polarization) using 2,337 Twitter users' actual sharing behavior and detailed psychological profiles; finds partisan polarization, especially out-party hostility, is the strongest predictor of fake news sharing; ignorance variables do not substantially predict fake news sharing when controlling for real news sharing.