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Misinformation: susceptibility, spread, and interventions to immunize the public
Open accessAbstract
The spread of misinformation poses a considerable threat to public health and the successful management of a global pandemic. For example, studies find that exposure to misinformation can undermine vaccination uptake and compliance with public-health guidelines. As research on the science of misinformation is rapidly emerging, this conceptual Review summarizes what we know along three key dimensions of the infodemic: susceptibility, spread, and immunization. Extant research is evaluated on the questions of why (some) people are (more) susceptible to misinformation, how misinformation spreads in online social networks, and which interventions can help to boost psychological immunity to misinformation. Implications for managing the infodemic are discussed.
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“Based on various theories, such as the theory of motivated reasoning, which explains that decisions are often based on pre-determined goals and desirability rather than an accurate reflection of the evidence (Kunda, 1990), researchers have identified a few individual variables that may motivate the person to believe misinformation they are exposed to.These include political orientation (Chen et al”
From Deepfakes, Democracy, and the Ethics of Synthetic Media: A Synthesis of the SOLARIS Project (2026) · cites this paper as van der Linden, 2022
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“The so-called inattention account posits that being bombarded with information, coupled with limited time and resources, interferes with individuals' ability to accurately reflect on the content (van der Linden, 2022).”
From Deepfakes, Democracy, and the Ethics of Synthetic Media: A Synthesis of the SOLARIS Project (2026) · cites this paper as van der Linden, 2022
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“Starting with sociodemographic variables, previous literature has revealed that age and social media use may be important in the context of misinformation (van der Linden, 2022).”
From Deepfakes, Democracy, and the Ethics of Synthetic Media: A Synthesis of the SOLARIS Project (2026) · cites this paper as van der Linden, 2022
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Metadata
- Authors
- van der Linden, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- van der Linden, Sander
- Venue
- Nature Medicine
- Published
- 2022-03
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 460-467
- ISSN
- 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-170X
- OpenAlex
- W4220844191
- Cited by
- 570
- References
- 121
- Citations by year
- 2026: 106 · 2025: 130 · 2024: 161 · 2023: 126 · 2022: 47
- FWCI
- 19.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
- Social Sciences › Health › Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Keywords
- misinformation, infodemic, misinformation susceptibility, misinformation spread, social networking sites, psychological immunity, misinformation interventions, vaccine uptake, public health recommendations, pandemic response
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Communication, Humans, Pandemics, Social Media
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