N = 125 participants; 59 female and 66 male; 23-58 years old (M = 27.57); 47% voted for Clinton, 26% for Trump, 12% didn’t vote, 14% voted “other”; recruitment via www.prolific.ac

Kalamazoo College

Which factors influence an individual’s likelihood to believe in FN? Do the factors contributing to someone believing in conspiracy theories also affect one’s likelihood to believe in FN?

Research question of Anthony & Moulding's (2019) study "Breaking the news: Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs." 

Anthony, A., & Moulding, R. (2019). Breaking the news: Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs. Australian journal of psychology, 71(2), 154-162.

Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs (Anthony & Moulding, 2019)

The controlling of political identity (PIS) strongly affected the correlations between BNI and political orientation (LRS) as well as randomness (WAS) and dangerous worldviews (DWS). The controlling of conspiratorial ideation (BCTI) strongly affected the correlations between BNI and magical thinking (OLIFE), normlessness (DAS) and dangerous worldviews (DWS). Therefore, political orientation (PIS, LAS, LRS) and conspiratorial ideation (BCTI) were strong predictors of belief in political fake news (BNI).

Results of Anthony & Moulding's (2019) study "Breaking the news: Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs.": partial correlations

Many predictors of beliefs in conspiracy theories correlated significantly with beliefs in fake news: congruency with political identity (PIS, LRS, LAS), dangerous worldview (DWS), normlessness (schizotypal) (DAS), randomness (WAS), conspiratorial ideation (BCTI), magical thinking (OLIFE). The findings also supported the hypothesis that people tend to believe in fake news that align with their political identity, praise one's own party, question the candiate of the opposite party (PIS) - can be explained by motivated reasoning.

Results of Anthony & Moulding's (2019) study "Breaking the news: Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs.": correlations

correlational study, participants were disproportionally left-wing oriented and young, no consideration of previous exposure to fake news

Limitations of Anthony & Moulding's (2019) study "Breaking the news: Belief in fake news and conspiracist beliefs."

1. demographic data
2. in random order: 
2. World Assumption Scale about sense of randomness and belief in the benevolence of people and the world (WAS; Janoff-Bulman, 1989)
3. Dean’s Alienation Scale about powerlessness, social isolation and normlessness (DAS; Dean, 1961)
4. Dangerous Worldview Scale (DWS; Perry, Sibley, & Duckitt, 2013)
5. Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (OLIFE)
6. Unusual Experiences subscale (UE) about odd beliefs and magical thinking
7. Political Identity Scale (PIS) about opinions on Clinton and Trump and identification as Democrat or Republican 
8. Left-Right Scale about political orientation regarding inequality (LRS; Evans, Health, & Lalljee, 1996)
9. Libertarian-Authoritarian Scale about political orientation regarding authority and obedience (LAS; Evans et al., 1996)
10. Belief in Conspiracy Theories Inventory (BCTI; Swami et al., 2010)
11. Belief in News Inventory (BNI) about beliefs in conspiratorial fake news (CFN) and non-conspiratorialfake news (FN) and entirely fictitious conspiratorial fake news (EFN)

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