Misinformation on social media: Individual reception and the importance of self-directed internet search for rebuttal

In the era of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war, the proliferation of misinformation on social media raises concerns for both individuals and society. This study delves into its reception and effects on attitudes, with a focus on individual verification processes through independent online information search. Drawing on a multimethod laboratory experiment involving 86 participants, the study addresses two key questions. First, it examines differences in the reception process between accurate and misleading social media posts and how it can influence the impact of misinformation. Second, it scrutinizes individual information search and selection processes, assessing their impact on recipient attitudes. The eye-tracking data reveal similar reception engagement with accurate and misleading posts. An effect was observed only with the accurate posts, independent of reception processes. Screen-recorded online search processes enhance the assessment of (mis)information correctness, albeit with topic-specific variations. Implications for countering misinformation and enhancing digital literacy are discussed.