Misinformation vs. Disinformation: What the Terms Mean and the Effects They Have

Loose lips sink ships − especially when they’re not telling the truth. Spotting misinformation can be difficult, especially on an information super-highway like the internet. 

“There is a myriad of consequences: From cynicism of government, the media, and science, to behaviors that harm individuals and others … to large scale damage to public property, to insurrection,” Dolores Albarracin, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois who studies attitudes, communication and behavior told USA TODAY in 2021.

“We have a lot more little bits of fiction roaming around in those memory banks than probably people would realize or would like to think is true,” Elizabeth Loftus, a University of California, Irvine professor who has done groundbreaking research on the misinformation effect, explained.

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