Science and the politics of misinformation

There is an urgency to understand and address science misinformation, illuminated most recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is worth noting that individuals with accuracy motivation can still develop misperceptions about science. Studies of misinformation corrections are consistent with evidence suggesting that individuals value source trustworthiness more than source knowledge and that directional motivations influence perceived trustworthiness. In addition to social-psychological approaches, scholars are examining the degree to which institutional and 'techno-cognitive' strategies can combat the systemic changes in the information environment, discussed earlier, that exacerbate the spread of scientific misperceptions. Governments and foundations make massive investments in science with the intention of benefitting both individuals and societies. Perhaps the most substantial hurdle going forward is for researchers to identify interventions that can scale to large populations. While inoculations appear to be more effective than corrections, little research has elaborated concrete strategies for targeting inoculation campaigns.