It’s been an election cycle packed with misinformation and conspiracy theories. So why do so many people believe the lies?
Blame the brain.
Many of the decisions we make as individuals and as a society depend on accurate information; however, our psychological biases and predispositions make us vulnerable to falsehoods.
As a result, misinformation is more likely to be believed, remembered and later recalled — even after we learn that it was false.
“On every level, I think that misinformation has the upper hand,” said Nathan Walter, a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University who studies the correction of misinformation.
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