Disinformation vs. Misinformation: A Psychological Primer

This article clarifies the difference between misinformation (false or inaccurate information spread without harmful intent) and disinformation (false information created deliberately to deceive). It then explores how human psychology processes false information: why we tend to accept what matches our beliefs and reject corrections, from individual biases like confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance to social effects like echo chambers and groupthink. We also examine how emotions such as fear and outrage make us more susceptible to false news. Finally, we discuss strategies (like media literacy, fact-checking, and “prebunking” interventions) that can help mitigate these effects. This primer draws on the latest research to explain why false information spreads and sticks, and what we can do about it, making it useful for anyone curious about today’s information landscape.