New Study Shows that Religious Fundamentalists and Those That are Delusional or Dogmatic are More Li

According to a working paper from Yale’s Michael Bronstein, Gordon Pennycook, Adam Bear, Tyrone Cannon, and David Rand, people who are delusional, dogmatic, or religious fundamentalists are more likely to be taken in by fake news stories like the ones Russians used during the last election.

From the Study: Two studies with over 1,000 participants suggested that individuals who endorse delusion-like ideas (e.g., thinking that people can communicate telepathically), as well as dogmatic individuals and religious fundamentalists, are more likely to believe fake news.

To be clear, the researchers aren't trying to say that being dogmatic or a religious fundamentalist "causes" you to believe fake news; but rather that they tend to occur together, and is likely caused by how such individuals have become accustomed to analyzing information. They suggest that helping these individuals to engage in "analytic and actively open-minded thinking" could help to "prevent the deleterious effects of belief in fake news."

The entire paper is here.

#fakenews #religion