Why ‘smarter’ people believe ‘fake news’ more
Why more intelligent people more often fall for fake news.
One of the most discussed stories in the 2016 American Presidential election was the effect of ‘misinformation’ and the role of social media. In this place, I do not want to argue if this did or did not happen or what effect it did or did not have on the election. Feel free to believe whatever you want and whatever makes you most comfortable.
But on that point ….
What always interested me in this story was what I saw as an underlying argument that went with this story. The implication could be summarized this way: “stupid people read fake news and believe it.” Conversely, some believe the opposite is true: “I am a smart person, and therefore I can see through the fake news.”
Wise people I know believe both, yet they may ultimately have it wrong.
Don’t believe the fake news about fake news.
Numerous studies say that less than one-third of people who repost an article read the article they are sharing. There are lots of reasons for this, and much comes from a lack of attention span. One of the reasons the headlines, which are not always a good summary of the story below them, work is confirmation bias. We like stories that reinforce what we believe. We have reviewed the impact of this bias and its effects on our ability to grow as people.
Even though people share this content, how much impact does it have?
Many studies have demonstrated that few people pay real attention to what we read quickly. An article in the Guardian gave a good example. When asked, "How many animals did Moses take on to the Ark?" Norbert Schwarz at the University of Southern California has found that only 12% of students answer correctly. The correct answer is, of course, none. Did you get it right? Or did you miss that it was Noah's Ark – not Moses's?
If you got it wrong, then no shame; it's just System 1 helping you live life.
So, the fake news we read is probably not changing as many minds as we might think. But what would make some think they can see through this content and others might not be able to?
The Self-Serving Bias
Along with Confirmation Bias is a tricky cognitive action known as Self Serving Bias. Here is the difference:
Confirmation Bias is a 'tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.'
Self-Serving Bias is ‘any cognitive or perceptual process distorted by the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem.’
So, the Self-Serving Bias is a process that gives us the tendency to perceive ourselves in an overly favorable manner. The flip side of this would make us feel inadequate, and we tend to avoid doing things that make us feel wrong. Moreover, we often go to the next step and believe things that strengthen our beliefs. After all, who of us have never said "I told you so" or at least thought it?
Our inner voice jumps in when System 1 sees a threat that might slow you down. Asking, 'am I right or wrong?' is a System 2 job, which takes effort and risks you looking foolish (your amygdala is protecting you). The impact is that we start to reframe what we hear to match better what we already believe. The irony is that the wiser you are, the better you are at reframing what you hear.
In other words, the most intelligent people we know often fall for the fakest news that reinforces what they already believe because they are better at reframing it! We all like things that prove us correct.
Now you may be saying to yourself, I get this in principle, but in practice, this doesn't apply to me. If that's what you are thinking, I have one more Bias for you: the Blindspot Bias. This Bias allows us to recognize the impact of biases on the judgment of others while failing to see the effects of biases on one's judgment.
Or in other words, you might not think this applies to you, but that's just a story you are telling yourself.