A recent investigation has unveiled a surprising paradox in the realm of online searches and their influence on beliefs, particularly concerning misinformation. This revelation challenges conventional wisdom and underscores the critical need for enhanced media literacy initiatives and improvements in the way search engines deliver information.
The research findings, set to be published in the December 20th issue of the prestigious journal Nature, shed light on a relatively understudied domain—how search engines shape the beliefs of their users.
Impact of Search Engines on Beliefs
The study, conducted by a team of researchers including Zeve Sanderson, the founding executive director of New York University’s Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP), demonstrates a concerning trend. It indicates that when individuals engage in online searches to assess the veracity of news, their belief in misinformation often intensifies significantly.
This paradoxical outcome may be attributed to the output of search engines. The study identifies that this phenomenon predominantly affects users who receive lower-quality information from search engine results. This suggests that “data voids”—areas of the information landscape dominated by low-quality or false information—may play a pivotal role in the online search process, leading to a diminished availability of credible information and, alarmingly, the prominence of non-credible information in search results.
Methodology and Scope of the Nature Study
The Nature study, authored by Kevin Aslett, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, along with Sanderson and their colleagues, delves into the consequences of employing online search engines to assess false or misleading content—a practice advocated by technology firms and government agencies.
To achieve this, the researchers enlisted participants through Qualtrics and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, platforms commonly used in behavioral science research. They conducted a series of five experiments aimed at gauging the impact of the common behavior known as “searching online to evaluate news” (SOTEN).
Exploring Online Search Behavior and Its Ramifications
The initial four studies investigated various aspects of online search behavior and its consequences:
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The effect of SOTEN on belief in both false and true news shortly after the publication of articles (including false popular stories related to COVID-19 vaccines, Trump impeachment proceedings, and climate events).
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Whether SOTEN could alter an individual’s evaluation after they had initially assessed the truthfulness of a news story.
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The long-term impact of SOTEN, even months after the initial publication.
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The influence of SOTEN on recent news concerning a prominent topic with significant media coverage, in this case, news related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fifth study combined a survey with web-tracking data to examine the impact of exposure to both low- and high-quality search engine results on belief in misinformation. The research team used a custom web browser plug-in to gather search results and assessed their quality using NewsGuard, a browser extension that rates the trustworthiness of online content.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Across all five studies, a consistent pattern emerged: engaging in online searches to evaluate news significantly heightened belief in misinformation, regardless of whether the evaluation occurred shortly after publication or months later. This indicates that the passage of time does not mitigate the impact of SOTEN on increasing the likelihood of accepting false news as true. Moreover, the fifth study revealed that this phenomenon primarily affected users receiving lower-quality search results.
These findings underscore the urgency of media literacy programs rooted in empirically tested interventions and call for search engines to address the challenges identified in this research. Joshua A. Tucker, professor of politics and co-director of CSMaP, emphasizes the importance of grounding recommendations in evidence and investing in solutions to combat this issue.
Reference: “Online searches to evaluate misinformation can increase its perceived veracity.” Nature, December 20, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06883-y
The study was conducted in collaboration with William Godel and Jonathan Nagler of NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics and Nathaniel Persily of Stanford Law School. Funding for the research was provided by the National Science Foundation (Grant Number: 2029610).
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Online Search Impact
What does the study reveal about online searches and belief in misinformation?
The study uncovers a surprising paradox: engaging in online searches to assess the truthfulness of news articles can actually increase the likelihood of believing misinformation, especially when search engines return lower-quality information.
Why is this paradoxical outcome significant?
This finding challenges the conventional belief that online searches should decrease belief in misinformation. It highlights the role of search engine outputs and the potential impact of “data voids,” where low-quality or false information dominates, in shaping users’ beliefs.
How was the study conducted?
The researchers conducted five experiments using participants recruited from platforms like Qualtrics and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. They assessed the impact of online searches to evaluate news (SOTEN) on belief in both false and true news, both shortly after publication and months later.
What were the key conclusions of the study?
The study consistently found that engaging in SOTEN led to a significant increase in belief in misinformation, irrespective of the timing of the evaluation. This suggests that time does not diminish the impact of SOTEN on false news beliefs. The phenomenon was particularly pronounced among users receiving lower-quality search results.
What recommendations does the study make?
The study underscores the need for media literacy programs based on empirically tested interventions. It also calls on search engines to address the challenges identified in the research, including the prominence of non-credible information in search results.
Where can I find the full study?
The full study, titled “Online searches to evaluate misinformation can increase its perceived veracity,” was published in the Nature journal on December 20, 2023, and can be accessed with DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06883-y.
More about Online Search Impact
- Nature Journal – Full Study
- New York University’s Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP)
- NewsGuard – Browser Extension for Trustworthiness Ratings
- University of Central Florida – Faculty Profile: Kevin Aslett
- Qualtrics – Online Survey Platform
- Amazon Mechanical Turk – Crowdsourcing Platform
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
4 comments
important findings here, folks. search engines need to step up their game, and we all need to be more media-savvy. this is a wake-up call! _xD83D__xDCA1__xD83D__xDCF0_
this is not what i was expecting. serious implications for all of us journalists and our readers. we need to dig deeper into this issue. _xD83E__xDDD0__xD83D__xDD8B_️
believe it or not, this is crazy stuff! online searches makin us believe more fake news? whos to blame for this? search engines? _xD83E__xDD14_
wow, this study it shows the opposite of what we think bout searchin online, so we got to be careful with our searches! _xD83D__xDE32_