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Psychological Underpinnings of Post-Truth in Political Beliefs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2019

Rose McDermott
Rose McDermott*
Affiliation:
Brown University
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Abstract

Although both the idea and the reality of so-called fake news or disinformation campaigns long precede the Trump administration, the frequency and intensity of the discussion around its prevalence and influence have increased significantly since Donald Trump took office. In an era when technological innovations support increasingly inexpensive and easy ways to produce media that looks official, the ability to separate real from artificial has become increasingly complicated and difficult. Some of the responsibility for public manipulation certainly rests with those who present false or artificial information as real. However, their relative success depends on, at least in part, universal psychological processes that often make humans susceptible to believing things that are not true. For example, people often weigh emotional feelings more heavily than abstract facts in their decision making. This discussion examines the psychological foundations that render individuals susceptible to a post-truth media environment and allow it to emerge, escalate, and persist.

Type
Article
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 218 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2019 

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