ABSTRACT
Much ink has been spilled on the topic of “fake news” over the last decade. Despite often-expressed concerns about the impacts of online misinformation, there has been comparatively little empirical assessment of its effects. This chapter describes a body of work that aims to trace the consequences of misinformation exposure for cognition and behavior. It discusses research showing that people can easily come to believe in, and even form false memories for, false information, especially if it aligns with their political beliefs or social identity. It then describes a series of experiments that have tried to measure the behavioral effects of fake news exposure – for example, by assessing the effects of vaccine misinformation on vaccination behaviors and intentions.
