Disinformation in Science
A Review of Empirical Evidence on Causes, Diffusion, and Countermeasures
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19216445 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jakub Lysek (0000-0003-3583-9917, Palacký University Olomouc), PAVEL ŠARADÍN (0000-0003-0470-5430, Palacký University Olomouc), Markéta Zapletalová (0000-0003-2645-8944, Palacký University Olomouc), Tomáš Lebeda (0000-0002-8931-9274, Palacký University Olomouc), Eva Lebedová (0000-0002-2433-8677, Palacký University Olomouc), Daniela Ostrá (0000-0002-0778-3242, Palacký University Olomouc), Ondrej MOLNÁR (0000-0001-9646-3680, Palacký University Olomouc) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Czech Sociological Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-0288 • E-ISSN: 2336-128X |
| Publisher | Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (PUBLISHER • CZ) |
| DOI | 10.13060/csr.2026.021 |
| OpenAlex | W7164586214 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 66 |
This article presents a synthesis of empirical quantitative findings on the individual-level factors that influence the susceptibility to believe scientific and technological disinformation and the willingness to disseminate it.The review identifies determinants divided into three main categories: socioeconomic status (SES), attitudinal and value orientations, and psychological factors.Key findings indicate that the influence of formal education and economic capital is often moderated, or even overshadowed, by ideological orientation and deeper personality and psychological traits.The intentional dissemination of disinformation is strongly associated with two factors in particular that are part of psychology's Dark Triad theory: narcissism and Machiavellianism.Conversely, cognitive reflection (CRT) emerges as the strongest protective factor.Consequently, effective defence strategies must move away from simplistic fact-checking and focus on developing psychological resilience, metacognition, and critical thinking in recipients.Future research should shift from predominantly focusing on respondents via additive regression modelling towards investigating interaction and moderation effects and thematically towards examining the role of political and business elites as drivers of disinformation narratives
Disinformation · Empirical evidence · Government (linguistics) · Misinformation · Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection · Media Influence and Politics · Misinformation and Its Impacts
At Least Bias Is Bipartisan
The role of personality traits and online behavior in belief in fake news
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The role of narcissism and motivated reasoning on misinformation propagation
Social media skepticism and belief in conspiracy theories about Covid-19
How dark triad influences rumors spreading on social media? Mediating role of declining third-person effect
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Systematic Literature Review on the Spread of Health-related Misinformation on Social Media
What Affects Invalid Voting? A Review and Meta-Analysis
Predicting misinformation beliefs across four countries
How populism and conservative media fuel conspiracy beliefs about Covid-19 and what it means for Covid-19 behaviors
Behind Beliefs – Collective Narcissism, Political Orientation, and Belief in Disinformation in the Time of War in Ukraine
Political narcissism of right-wing extremists
Stumble on information or misinformation? Examining the interplay of incidental news exposure, narcissism, and new media literacy in misinformation engagement
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Conspiracy theories and reasonable pluralism
Clarifying the structure and nature of left-wing authoritarianism
Trust, personality, and belief as determinants of the organic reach of political disinformation on social media
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Defining and Measuring Scientific Misinformation
The embarrassment of riches? A meta-analysis of individual-level research on voter turnout
Measuring the impact of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on vaccination intent in the UK and USA
Psychological inoculation strategies to fight climate disinformation across 12 countries
Spreading Disinformation on Facebook
Christ, Country, and Conspiracies? Christian Nationalism, Biblical Literalism, and Belief in Conspiracy Theories
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |