'Spotting the spin': Why disinformation works in our brains �� and how not to get duped

From Payne Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University where she teaches to the solemn halls of the Federal Election Commission, Lisa Fazio takes her eye-opening presentation on disinformation wherever she’s asked.And the invites keep coming.“I just did it for a group of high schoolers in Detroit at a digital media literacy event,�� Fazio, an assistant professor of psychology and human development, recalled recently during a brisk midday walk on the campus of Peabody College.Her 10-12 minute slide presentation, which touches on such disparate historical characters such as Moses and Franklin Roosevelt, seeks to illustrate the science of how Americans gets duped �� and how to spot the spin."We're seeing actors try and fool the American public,�� Fazio explained during an interview on campus.“There have always been people who are lying �� But what happens now is they have a much larger audience.”Fake Facebook accounts doubleHere's just how large of an audience:Facebook recently revealed it took down 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September -- more than double the amount it removed in 2018.False attacks on U.S. politicians were viewed 158 million times on the world’s largest social media platform since the beginning of 2019, according to a recent report from the activist organization Avaaz. All of the disinformation is taking a toll on consumers�� sense of reality.An Associated Press poll last year found 47 percent of Americans said it's difficult to know whether information they see is true. ‘Does this feel true?’To test how much people are susceptible to disinformation, Prof. Fazio agreed to give her presentation recently to a diverse group of voters assembled by the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit with the assistance of the League of Women Voters in Louisville, Kentucky. "Most the time we rely on this gut feeling: does this feel true?�� Fazio explained to the 14 people ages 24 to 76 gathered at the studios of WLKY-TV. When politicians, trusted individuals or political ads repeat a false or misleading claim over and over, the disinformation solidifies in the viewer, Fazio said in an interview later.With repetition, “the statement becomes easier to process, easier to understand, and our brains kind of interpret that fluency or that ease of processing as a signal for truth. And so we think that these things are true just because they've been repeated,�� Fazio explained. “We assume good intentions when we're having conversations and that's why we don't notice these errors,�� she added. “Because, in general, people have this accuracy motive and they try to be accurate in what they're saying and we don't try to dupe other people. But �� these processes that develop with good norms of communication fall apart when people are actually trying to trick us.”With just two months until the first votes are cast in the 2020 primaries and caucuses, Fazio channeled an overriding sentiment among voters facing a fire hose of disinformation.“I think a lot of people are feeling kind of exhausted, sick, and just stop paying attention. There's just too much coming at them; they don't know what's true or false and so they've just kind of put their hands up and stopped paying attention. And I think that's really dangerous in a democracy where we need informed citizens to make decisions.”Can you spot the spin?Each of the questions below may contain an error. Can you spot which ones? These examples illustrate how hard it can be to spot misinformation and disinformation. Questions and answers provided by Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor of Psychology Lisa Fazio with contribution from the research of “Memory and the Moses Illusion: Failures to detect contradictions with stored knowledge yield negative memorial consequences�� by Hayden C. Bottoms, Andrea N. Eslick, and Elizabeth J. Marsh (2010) as well as “Expertise effects in the Moses illusion: Detecting contradictions with stored knowledge�� by Allison D. Cantor and Elizabeth J. Marsh (2017).Travis Sherwin and April Chunko contributed to this report. Know of election security vulnerabilities or concerns? Send investigative tips, information and documents about this topic to the National Investigative Unit at [email protected].

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —

From Payne Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University where she teaches to the solemn halls of the Federal Election Commission, takes her eye-opening presentation on disinformation wherever she’s asked.

And the invites keep coming.

“I just did it for a group of high schoolers in Detroit at a digital media literacy event,�� Fazio, an assistant professor of psychology and human development, recalled recently during a brisk midday walk on the campus of Peabody College.

Her 10-12 minute slide presentation, which touches on such disparate historical characters such as Moses and Franklin Roosevelt, seeks to illustrate the science of how Americans gets duped �� and how to spot the spin.

"We're seeing actors try and fool the American public,�� Fazio explained during an interview on campus.

“There have always been people who are lying �� But what happens now is they have a much larger audience.��

Fake Facebook accounts double

Here's just how large of an audience:

Facebook it took down 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September -- more than double the amount it removed in 2018.

False attacks on U.S. politicians were viewed 158 million times on the world’s largest social media platform since the beginning of 2019, according to a recent report from the activist organization Avaaz.

All of the disinformation is taking a toll on consumers�� sense of reality.

An last year found 47 percent of Americans said it's difficult to know whether information they see is true.

Hearst Television

‘Does this feel true?��

To test how much people are susceptible to disinformation, Prof. Fazio agreed to give her presentation recently to a diverse group of voters assembled by the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit with the assistance of the League of Women Voters in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hearst Television

Fourteen voters take part in a Hearst Television National Investigative Unit focus group about disinformation at WLKY-TV in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 18, 2019.

"Most the time we rely on this gut feeling: does this feel true?�� Fazio explained to the 14 people ages 24 to 76 gathered at the studios of WLKY-TV.

When politicians, trusted individuals or political ads repeat a false or misleading claim over and over, the disinformation solidifies in the viewer, Fazio said in an interview later.

With repetition, “the statement becomes easier to process, easier to understand, and our brains kind of interpret that fluency or that ease of processing as a signal for truth. And so we think that these things are true just because they've been repeated,�� Fazio explained.

Hearst Television

Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor of Psychology Lisa Fazio talks with Chief National Investigative Correspondent Mark Albert on campus.

“We assume good intentions when we're having conversations and that's why we don't notice these errors,�� she added. “Because, in general, people have this accuracy motive and they try to be accurate in what they're saying and we don't try to dupe other people. But �� these processes that develop with good norms of communication fall apart when people are actually trying to trick us.��

With just two months until the first votes are cast in the 2020 primaries and caucuses, Fazio channeled an overriding sentiment among voters facing a fire hose of disinformation.

“I think a lot of people are feeling kind of exhausted, sick, and just stop paying attention. There's just too much coming at them; they don't know what's true or false and so they've just kind of put their hands up and stopped paying attention. And I think that's really dangerous in a democracy where we need informed citizens to make decisions.��

Can you spot the spin?

_{Each of the questions below may contain an error. Can you spot which ones? These examples illustrate how hard it can be to spot misinformation and disinformation.}

Slideshow

12 photos

Questions and answers provided by Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor of Psychology Lisa Fazio with contribution from the research of “Memory and the Moses Illusion: Failures to detect contradictions with stored knowledge yield negative memorial consequences�� by Hayden C. Bottoms, Andrea N. Eslick, and Elizabeth J. Marsh (2010) as well as “Expertise effects in the Moses illusion: Detecting contradictions with stored knowledge�� by Allison D. Cantor and Elizabeth J. Marsh (2017).

Travis Sherwin and April Chunko contributed to this report.

Know of election security vulnerabilities or concerns? Send investigative tips, information and documents about this topic to the National Investigative Unit at [email protected].

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