New research suggests that the human desire to connect and fit in with others may provide clues as to why people support unverified claims like fake news. Findings from a series of seven studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that collectivism was tied to greater acceptance of fake news and a tendency to find meaning in vague claims.
Many people choose to support empty claims despite a lack of evidence or even a blatant disregard for the truth. But what makes people susceptible to these claims? A team of researchers led by Ying Lin proposed that the answer to this question has to do with collectivism — the valuing of social connection and fitting in.
The theory is that collectivism drives people to want to make sense of a claim to “seek common ground” with the communicator. “This focus on making sense motivates people to interpret, fill in the blanks, and construct meaning for empty claims,” the researchers explain. “People are more likely to experience claims as truthful, meaningful, even profound once they have filled in the blanks that allow them to construct meaning.” Lin and her team launched a series of seven studies to explore this idea.
First, an analysis of data from a national sample of Americans revealed that the more respondents endorsed collectivist values, the more they felt that astrology had scientific merit. Similarly, data from a national Chinese sample revealed that the more respondents endorsed collectivism, the...
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