Sacha Altay
Biographic Data
| ID | 354613 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sacha Altay |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sacha |
| FAMILY NAME | Altay |
| SIGNATURE | ALTAY S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Zurich |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2839-7375 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 35 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 98 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Debriefings in misinformation research should include fact-checks to correct misperceptions and increase perceived learning
Debriefings are a cornerstone of ethical research, especially when deception is used. In misinformation experiments, debriefings both disclose the deception and warn participants about misinformation. Unlike other misinformation interventions, they reveal that researchers deliberately introduced the falsehoods, raising concerns about trust and skepticism. In a preregistered U.S. experiment (N = 896), we compare no debriefing, a general debriefing…
Do Your Own Research (?) A Weak Link Between Conspiracism and Preference for First-Hand Evidence in a Perceptual Task
Conspiracy theorists often prompt others to “Do your own research.” Could a general desire for such epistemic autonomy—to make up one’s own mind rather than deferring to others’ testimony—explain why some people are attracted to conspiracy theories? In four pre-registered studies (United States and United Kingdom, N = 1196), we test whether participants more likely to believe in conspiracy theories have a stronger preference for forming their own…
Who is concerned about online false news and why? Evidence from 46 countries between 2018 and 2023
People are concerned about false news online and media coverage of the problem is on the rise. Yet little is known about how these concerns have changed over time, and how they vary across countries and individuals. A pre-registered analysis of longitudinal data from 2018 to 2023 in 46 countries (N = 509,797) shows that concerns about false news have remained stable in most countries. Women, more educated, older, and right-wing respondents were m…
Misinformation is a symptom: Commentary on Ecker et al. (2025)
We agree with Ecker et al. (2025) that misinformation should not be ignored. The specific form that misbeliefs take is indeed shaped by misinformation (e.g., vaccines cause autism). However, this does not imply that misinformation causes behaviors (e.g., vaccine refusal). We view misinformation as a symptom of deeper problems. When many are willing to consume, believe, and act on misinformation, this is diagnostic of broader sociopolitical issues…
Rethinking the problem of misinformation and its solutions
The way a problem is framed shapes its solutions. This article reframes the problem of misinformation and examines the implications of this shift for interventions against misinformation. It advances five arguments that challenge common narratives about misinformation and invite us to rethink both the problem and its solutions. For instance, exposure to misinformation is lower than often believed, people are less gullible than commonly assumed, a…
Spotting false news and doubting true news: A systematic review and meta-analysis of news judgements
How good are people at judging the veracity of news? We conducted a systematic literature review and pre-registered meta-analysis of 303 effect sizes from 67 experimental articles evaluating accuracy ratings of true and fact-checked false news ( N Participants = 194,438 from 40 countries across 6 continents). We found that people rated true news as more accurate than false news (Cohen’s d = 1.12 [1.01, 1.22]) and were better at rating false news …
News Informs and Boosts Discernment: A Replication in France and Germany
Can the news help people be more resilient to misinformation? Altay et al. found that news use increases surveillance knowledge and awareness of true and false news, while decreasing belief in false news. We conducted a two-wave panel survey ( N = 3,395) to replicate these findings in two new countries: France and Germany. The replication reinforces the conclusions of the original study: we found that higher news consumption predicted greater sur…
Following news on social media boosts knowledge, belief accuracy and trust
Many worry that news on social media leaves people uninformed or even misinformed. Here we conducted a preregistered two-wave online field experiment in France and Germany ( N = 3,395) to estimate the effect of following the news on Instagram and WhatsApp. Participants were asked to follow two accounts for 2 weeks and activate the notifications. In the treatment condition, the accounts were those of news organizations, while in the control condit…
Exposure to Higher Rates of False News Erodes Media Trust and Fuels Overconfidence
In two online experiments (N = 2,735), we investigated whether forced exposure to high proportions of false news could have deleterious effects by sowing confusion and fueling distrust in news. In a between-subjects design where U.S. participants rated the accuracy of true and false news, we manipulated the proportions of false news headlines participants were exposed to (17%, 33%, 50%, 66%, and 83%). We found that exposure to higher proportions …
Trust is key: Determinants of false beliefs about climate change in eight countries
Science has established the human-caused nature of climate change, yet the prevalence of climate-related misinformation persists, undermining public understanding and impeding collective action. Strikingly, existing research on belief in misinformation about climate change has disproportionately focused on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries. To move beyond this, our online survey (N = 8541) includes high-inc…
News participation is declining: Evidence from 46 countries between 2015 and 2022
Digital media are often praised for having offered new ways to participate with news. But how has participation with news changed in recent years? A pre-registered analysis of survey data from 2015 to 2022 in 46 countries ( N = 577,859) shows that participation with news has declined. This decrease is observed in most countries and for most forms of participation, including liking, sharing, commenting on news on social media and talking about the…
Moralization and extremism robustly amplify myside sharing
6,989), we examined decisions to share news touching on the divisive issues of gun control, abortion, gender and racial equality, and immigration. Myside sharing was systematically observed and was consistently amplified when participants (i) moralized and (ii) were attitudinally extreme on the issue. The amplification of myside sharing by moralization also frequently occurred above and beyond that of attitude extremity. These effects generalized…
Misinformation reloaded? Fears about the impact of generative AI on misinformation are overblown
Many observers of the current explosion of generative AI worry about its impact on our information environment, with concerns being raised about the increased quantity, quality, and personalization of misinformation. We assess these arguments with evidence from communication studies, cognitive science, and political science. We argue that current concerns about the effects of generative AI on the misinformation landscape are overblown
Spotting False News and Doubting True News: A Meta-Analysis of News Judgments
How good are people at judging the veracity of news? We conducted a systematic literature review and pre-registered meta-analysis of 303 effect sizes from 67 experimental articles evaluating accuracy ratings of true and fact-checked false news ($N_{participants}$ = 194'438 from 40 countries across 6 continents). We found that people rated true news as more accurate than false news (Cohen’s d = 1.12 [1.01, 1.22], p < .001) and were better at ratin…
Happy thoughts: The role of communion in accepting and sharing (mis)beliefs
The negativity bias favours the cultural diffusion of negative beliefs, yet many common (mis)beliefs-naturopathy works, there's a heaven-are positive. Why? People might share 'happy thoughts'-beliefs that might make others happy-to display their kindness. Five experiments conducted among Japanese and English-speaking participants (N = 2412) show that: (i) people higher on communion are more likely to believe and share happier beliefs, by contrast…
A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being
The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-…
News Can Help! The Impact of News Media and Digital Platforms on Awareness of and Belief in Misinformation
Does the news media exacerbate or reduce misinformation problems? Although some news media deliberately try to counter misinformation, it has been suggested that they might also inadvertently, and sometimes purposefully, amplify it. We conducted a two-wave panel survey in Brazil, India, and the UK ( N = 4732) to investigate the effect of news and digital platform use on awareness of and belief in COVID-19 misinformation over time (January to Febr…
People believe misinformation is a threat because they assume others are gullible
Alarmist narratives about the flow of misinformation and its negative consequences have gained traction in recent years. If these fears are to some extent warranted, the scientific literature suggests that many of them are exaggerated. Why are people so worried about misinformation? In two pre-registered surveys conducted in the United Kingdom ( N study_1 = 300, N study_2 = 300) and replicated in the United States ( N study_1 = 302, N study_2 = 2…
Misinformation on Misinformation: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges
Alarmist narratives about online misinformation continue to gain traction despite evidence that its prevalence and impact are overstated. Drawing on research examining the use of big data in social science and reception studies, we identify six misconceptions about misinformation and highlight the conceptual and methodological challenges they raise. The first set of misconceptions concerns the prevalence and circulation of misinformation. First, …
Being green or being nice? People are more likely to share nicer but potentially less impactful green messages
Citizens can play an important role in disseminating scientific information about climate change, if motivated to do so. However, expressing green positions has the potential to negatively affect people’s reputation, by making them look judgmental for instance. In three experiments among US and UK participants (N = 1197) we investigate the reputational costs of sharing statements about climate change that vary in accuracy and in potential impact.…
Research note: Fighting misinformation or fighting for information
A wealth of interventions have been devised to reduce belief in fake news or the tendency to share such news. By contrast, interventions aimed at increasing trust in reliable news sources have received less attention. In this article we show that, given the very limited prevalence of misinformation (including fake news), interventions aimed at reducing acceptance or spread of such news are bound to have very small effects on the overall quality o…
The Einstein effect provides global evidence for scientific source credibility effects and the influence of religiosity
People tend to evaluate information from reliable sources more favourably, but it is unclear exactly how perceivers’ worldviews interact with this source credibility effect. In a large and diverse cross-cultural sample (N = 10,195 from 24 countries), we presented participants with obscure, meaningless statements attributed to either a spiritual guru or a scientist. We found a robust global source credibility effect for scientific authorities, whi…
Scaling up interactive argumentation by providing counterarguments with a chatbot
Does nuclear energy produce neodymium? Negative perception of nuclear energy drives the assumption that it is polluting
The public tends to exaggerate the dangers of nuclear energy, mistakenly associating it with various environmental problems such as ozone depletion and the production of CO2. First, we ask whether such specific misconceptions, potentially acquired through the media, cause negative attitudes towards nuclear energy, or if holding negative attitudes towards nuclear energy prompts people to develop specific misconceptions. In Experiments 1 and 2 (UK …
Information Delivered by a Chatbot Has a Positive Impact on Covid-19 Vaccines Attitudes and Intentions
The COVID-19 vaccines will not end the pandemic if they stay in freezers. In many countries, such as France, COVID-19 vaccines hesitancy is high. It is crucial that governments make it as easy as possible for people who want to be vaccinated to do so, but also that they devise communication strategies to address the concerns of vaccine hesitant individuals. We introduce and test on 701 French participants a novel messaging strategy: a chatbot tha…
Why do so few people share fake news? It hurts their reputation
In spite of the attractiveness of fake news stories, most people are reluctant to share them. Why? Four pre-registered experiments ( N = 3,656) suggest that sharing fake news hurt one’s reputation in a way that is difficult to fix, even for politically congruent fake news. The decrease in trust a source (media outlet or individual) suffers when sharing one fake news story against a background of real news is larger than the increase in trust a so…
Misinformation on Misinformation: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges
Alarmist narratives about online misinformation continue to gain traction despite evidence that its prevalence and impact are overstated. Drawing on research examining the use of big data in social science and reception studies, we identify six misconceptions about misinformation and highlight the conceptual and methodological challenges they raise. The first set of misconceptions concerns the prevalence and circulation of misinformation. First, …
News Can Help! The Impact of News Media and Digital Platforms on Awareness of and Belief in Misinformation
Does the news media exacerbate or reduce misinformation problems? Although some news media deliberately try to counter misinformation, it has been suggested that they might also inadvertently, and sometimes purposefully, amplify it. We conducted a two-wave panel survey in Brazil, India, and the UK ( N = 4732) to investigate the effect of news and digital platform use on awareness of and belief in COVID-19 misinformation over time (January to Febr…
Trust is key: Determinants of false beliefs about climate change in eight countries
Science has established the human-caused nature of climate change, yet the prevalence of climate-related misinformation persists, undermining public understanding and impeding collective action. Strikingly, existing research on belief in misinformation about climate change has disproportionately focused on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries. To move beyond this, our online survey (N = 8541) includes high-inc…
The Einstein effect provides global evidence for scientific source credibility effects and the influence of religiosity
People tend to evaluate information from reliable sources more favourably, but it is unclear exactly how perceivers’ worldviews interact with this source credibility effect. In a large and diverse cross-cultural sample (N = 10,195 from 24 countries), we presented participants with obscure, meaningless statements attributed to either a spiritual guru or a scientist. We found a robust global source credibility effect for scientific authorities, whi…
People believe misinformation is a threat because they assume others are gullible
Alarmist narratives about the flow of misinformation and its negative consequences have gained traction in recent years. If these fears are to some extent warranted, the scientific literature suggests that many of them are exaggerated. Why are people so worried about misinformation? In two pre-registered surveys conducted in the United Kingdom ( N study_1 = 300, N study_2 = 300) and replicated in the United States ( N study_1 = 302, N study_2 = 2…
Exposure to Higher Rates of False News Erodes Media Trust and Fuels Overconfidence
In two online experiments (N = 2,735), we investigated whether forced exposure to high proportions of false news could have deleterious effects by sowing confusion and fueling distrust in news. In a between-subjects design where U.S. participants rated the accuracy of true and false news, we manipulated the proportions of false news headlines participants were exposed to (17%, 33%, 50%, 66%, and 83%). We found that exposure to higher proportions …
Scaling up interactive argumentation by providing counterarguments with a chatbot
News participation is declining: Evidence from 46 countries between 2015 and 2022
Digital media are often praised for having offered new ways to participate with news. But how has participation with news changed in recent years? A pre-registered analysis of survey data from 2015 to 2022 in 46 countries ( N = 577,859) shows that participation with news has declined. This decrease is observed in most countries and for most forms of participation, including liking, sharing, commenting on news on social media and talking about the…
It happened to a friend of a friend: Inaccurate Source Reporting in Rumour Diffusion
e.g. when told by a friend that 'a friend told me ...' they shared the rumour as coming from 'a friend' instead of 'a friend of friend'. Source shortening and reliance on credible sources boosted rumour propagation by increasing the rumours' perceived plausibility and participants' willingness to share them. Models show that, in linear transmission chains, the generic friend attribution dominates, but that allowing each individual to be exposed t…
Following news on social media boosts knowledge, belief accuracy and trust
Many worry that news on social media leaves people uninformed or even misinformed. Here we conducted a preregistered two-wave online field experiment in France and Germany ( N = 3,395) to estimate the effect of following the news on Instagram and WhatsApp. Participants were asked to follow two accounts for 2 weeks and activate the notifications. In the treatment condition, the accounts were those of news organizations, while in the control condit…
Withdrawn: It's my idea! Reputation management and idea appropriation
Internet Users Engage More With Phatic Posts Than With Health Misinformation On Facebook
Social media like Facebook are harshly criticized for the propagation of health misinformation. Yet, little research has provided in-depth analysis of real-world data to measure the extent to which Internet users engage with it. This article examines 6.5 million interactions generated by 500 posts on an emblematic case of online health misinformation: the Facebook page Santé + Mag, which generates five times more interactions than the combination…
Dominant Jerks: People infer dominance from the utterance of challenging and offensive statements
Why do people utter offensive or challenging statements? One reason might be displaying one’s dominance: if no one calls out the speaker of a challenging statement, it might because the audience is afraid to challenge the speaker. In two experiments (N = 635), participants read vignettes in which a speaker uttered either a statement about a mundane topic, or an offensive statement. The statement was either challenging (it clashed with the audienc…
It's my idea! Reputation management and idea appropriation
Moralization and Extremism Robustly Amplify Myside Sharing
We explored whether moralization and attitude extremity may amplify a preference to share politically congruent (“myside”) partisan news, and what types of targeted interventions may reduce this tendency. Across 12 online experiments (N = 6989), we examined decisions to share news touching on the divisive issues of gun control, abortion, gender and racial equality, and immigration. Myside sharing was systematically observed and was consistently a…
Relevance Is Socially Rewarded, But Not at the Price of Accuracy
Selecting good sources of information is a critical skill to navigate our highly social world. To evaluate the epistemic reputation of potential sources, the main criterion should be the relevance of the information they provide us. In two online experiments ( N = 801), we found that receivers are more thankful toward, deem more competent, and are more likely to request information in the future from sources of more relevant messages—if they know…
Internet users engage more with phatic posts than with health misinformation on Facebook
Social media like Facebook are harshly criticized for the propagation of health misinformation. Yet, little research has provided in-depth analysis of real-world data to measure the extent to which Internet users engage with it. This article examines 6.5 million interactions generated by 500 posts on an emblematic case of online health misinformation: the Facebook page Santé + Mag , which generates five times more interactions than the combinatio…
Why do so few people share fake news? It hurts their reputation
In spite of the attractiveness of fake news stories, most people are reluctant to share them. Why? Four pre-registered experiments ( N = 3,656) suggest that sharing fake news hurt one’s reputation in a way that is difficult to fix, even for politically congruent fake news. The decrease in trust a source (media outlet or individual) suffers when sharing one fake news story against a background of real news is larger than the increase in trust a so…
It happened to a friend of a friend: Inaccurate Source Reporting in Rumour Diffusion
e.g. when told by a friend that 'a friend told me ...' they shared the rumour as coming from 'a friend' instead of 'a friend of friend'. Source shortening and reliance on credible sources boosted rumour propagation by increasing the rumours' perceived plausibility and participants' willingness to share them. Models show that, in linear transmission chains, the generic friend attribution dominates, but that allowing each individual to be exposed t…
Does nuclear energy produce neodymium? Negative perception of nuclear energy drives the assumption that it is polluting
The public tends to exaggerate the dangers of nuclear energy, mistakenly associating it with various environmental problems such as ozone depletion and the production of CO2. First, we ask whether such specific misconceptions, potentially acquired through the media, cause negative attitudes towards nuclear energy, or if holding negative attitudes towards nuclear energy prompts people to develop specific misconceptions. In Experiments 1 and 2 (UK …
Information Delivered by a Chatbot Has a Positive Impact on Covid-19 Vaccines Attitudes and Intentions
The COVID-19 vaccines will not end the pandemic if they stay in freezers. In many countries, such as France, COVID-19 vaccines hesitancy is high. It is crucial that governments make it as easy as possible for people who want to be vaccinated to do so, but also that they devise communication strategies to address the concerns of vaccine hesitant individuals. We introduce and test on 701 French participants a novel messaging strategy: a chatbot tha…
“If This account is True, It is Most Enormously Wonderful”: Interestingness-If-True and the Sharing of True and False News
Why would people share news they think might not be accurate? We identify a factor that, alongside accuracy, drives the sharing of true and fake news: the ‘interestingness-if-true’ of a piece of news. In three pre-registered experiments (N = 904), participants were presented with a series of true and fake news, and asked to rate the accuracy of the news, how interesting the news would be if it were true, and how likely they would be to share it. …
Being green or being nice? People are more likely to share nicer but potentially less impactful green messages
Citizens can play an important role in disseminating scientific information about climate change, if motivated to do so. However, expressing green positions has the potential to negatively affect people’s reputation, by making them look judgmental for instance. In three experiments among US and UK participants (N = 1197) we investigate the reputational costs of sharing statements about climate change that vary in accuracy and in potential impact.…
Research note: Fighting misinformation or fighting for information
A wealth of interventions have been devised to reduce belief in fake news or the tendency to share such news. By contrast, interventions aimed at increasing trust in reliable news sources have received less attention. In this article we show that, given the very limited prevalence of misinformation (including fake news), interventions aimed at reducing acceptance or spread of such news are bound to have very small effects on the overall quality o…
The Einstein effect provides global evidence for scientific source credibility effects and the influence of religiosity
People tend to evaluate information from reliable sources more favourably, but it is unclear exactly how perceivers’ worldviews interact with this source credibility effect. In a large and diverse cross-cultural sample (N = 10,195 from 24 countries), we presented participants with obscure, meaningless statements attributed to either a spiritual guru or a scientist. We found a robust global source credibility effect for scientific authorities, whi…
Scaling up interactive argumentation by providing counterarguments with a chatbot
Moralization and extremism robustly amplify myside sharing
6,989), we examined decisions to share news touching on the divisive issues of gun control, abortion, gender and racial equality, and immigration. Myside sharing was systematically observed and was consistently amplified when participants (i) moralized and (ii) were attitudinally extreme on the issue. The amplification of myside sharing by moralization also frequently occurred above and beyond that of attitude extremity. These effects generalized…
Misinformation reloaded? Fears about the impact of generative AI on misinformation are overblown
Many observers of the current explosion of generative AI worry about its impact on our information environment, with concerns being raised about the increased quantity, quality, and personalization of misinformation. We assess these arguments with evidence from communication studies, cognitive science, and political science. We argue that current concerns about the effects of generative AI on the misinformation landscape are overblown
Spotting False News and Doubting True News: A Meta-Analysis of News Judgments
How good are people at judging the veracity of news? We conducted a systematic literature review and pre-registered meta-analysis of 303 effect sizes from 67 experimental articles evaluating accuracy ratings of true and fact-checked false news ($N_{participants}$ = 194'438 from 40 countries across 6 continents). We found that people rated true news as more accurate than false news (Cohen’s d = 1.12 [1.01, 1.22], p < .001) and were better at ratin…
Happy thoughts: The role of communion in accepting and sharing (mis)beliefs
The negativity bias favours the cultural diffusion of negative beliefs, yet many common (mis)beliefs-naturopathy works, there's a heaven-are positive. Why? People might share 'happy thoughts'-beliefs that might make others happy-to display their kindness. Five experiments conducted among Japanese and English-speaking participants (N = 2412) show that: (i) people higher on communion are more likely to believe and share happier beliefs, by contrast…
A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being
The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-…
News Can Help! The Impact of News Media and Digital Platforms on Awareness of and Belief in Misinformation
Does the news media exacerbate or reduce misinformation problems? Although some news media deliberately try to counter misinformation, it has been suggested that they might also inadvertently, and sometimes purposefully, amplify it. We conducted a two-wave panel survey in Brazil, India, and the UK ( N = 4732) to investigate the effect of news and digital platform use on awareness of and belief in COVID-19 misinformation over time (January to Febr…
People believe misinformation is a threat because they assume others are gullible
Alarmist narratives about the flow of misinformation and its negative consequences have gained traction in recent years. If these fears are to some extent warranted, the scientific literature suggests that many of them are exaggerated. Why are people so worried about misinformation? In two pre-registered surveys conducted in the United Kingdom ( N study_1 = 300, N study_2 = 300) and replicated in the United States ( N study_1 = 302, N study_2 = 2…
Misinformation on Misinformation: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges
Alarmist narratives about online misinformation continue to gain traction despite evidence that its prevalence and impact are overstated. Drawing on research examining the use of big data in social science and reception studies, we identify six misconceptions about misinformation and highlight the conceptual and methodological challenges they raise. The first set of misconceptions concerns the prevalence and circulation of misinformation. First, …
Exposure to Higher Rates of False News Erodes Media Trust and Fuels Overconfidence
In two online experiments (N = 2,735), we investigated whether forced exposure to high proportions of false news could have deleterious effects by sowing confusion and fueling distrust in news. In a between-subjects design where U.S. participants rated the accuracy of true and false news, we manipulated the proportions of false news headlines participants were exposed to (17%, 33%, 50%, 66%, and 83%). We found that exposure to higher proportions …
Misinformation and Its Impacts (27 works) · Psychology (26 works) · Computer Science (19 works) · Political science (19 works) · Social Psychology (18 works) · Internet privacy (15 works) · Law (13 works) · Misinformation (13 works) · Social Media and Politics (11 works) · Business (9 works)