Nobody-fools-me perception: Influence of Age and Education on Overconfidence About Spotting Disinformation

ABSTRACT

This study introduces the concept of “nobody-fools-me perception”, a cognitive bias consisting of overconfidence in one’s own ability to detect disinformation, associated with the belief that one is more immune to false content than almost everyone else. Specifically, it examines the extent to which variables such as age and education determine the conviction that one is able to spot false content, and influence the skills and habits of checking and sharing potentially unverified information on health, a serious problem in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on two face-to-face focus groups and one online focus group made up of Spanish people between the ages of 25 and 54, this qualitative research study explored the behaviour of regular citizens when assessing the truthfulness of health-related news, and their habits about believing it. The results reveal that younger people tended to distrust the ability of older people to spot false content, and vice versa. They also show that people with a higher educational level were more confident about their own immunity to disinformation. By introducing the concept of “nobody-fools-me perception”, this study contributes to our understanding of how subjective perceptions lead to believing in false news.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive bias
• overconfidence
• selective exposure
• third-person effect
• disinformation
• fake news
• information disorders

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study is a result of two research projects: (1) RRSSalud—Diffusion dynamics in social networks of false news on health (2020–2022), funded by the BBVA Foundation, within the Grants for Scientific Research Teams – Economy and Digital Society, 2019; and (2) IBERIFIERs – Iberian Digital Media Research and Fact-Checking Hub, funded by the European Commission under the call CEF-TC-2020–2 (European Digital Media Observatory), grant number 2020-EU-IA-0252.

Notes on contributors

Maria-Pilar Martínez-Costa

Maria-Pilar Martínez-Costa, PhD, is Associate Professor of Journalism and Senior Researcher at the School of Communication of the University of Navarra, where she investigates audio storytelling, digital media and the dynamics of dissemination of news. [email protected], @mpmarcosta

Fernando López-Pan

Fernando López-Pan, PhD in Communication, is Associate Professor of Journalism at the School of Communication of the University of Navarra, and has the teaching and research experience of five five-year periods in the areas of Journalistic Writing and Rhetoric of Communication. [email protected]

Nataly Buslón

Nataly Buslón, PhD, is Post-doctoral Researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC). PhD in Sociology, University of Barcelona. Visiting Student at Columbia University New York and Master’s Degree in Social Research from the University of Barcelona. [email protected], @BuslonNataly

Ramón Salaverría

Ramón Salaverría, PhD, is Full Professor of Journalism at the School of Communication of the University of Navarra. For nearly twenty-five years, he has done extensive research on digital journalism skills. His research focuses on media convergence, online news storytelling, new media trends and information disorders. [email protected], @rsalaver