Library:Lazy, Not Biased
| Lazy, Not Biased | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gordon Pennycook and David G. Rand |
| First published | 2019 |
| ISBN | — |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Culture, Religion & Society Politics & Elections |
| Tactics | Fabrication |
Lazy, Not Biased is a 2019 study by Gordon Pennycook and David G. Rand. It appeared in Cognition 188 (2019).
Summary
Psychologists Gordon Pennycook and David Rand tested whether people fall for fake news mainly because it fits their political views or because they do not think carefully.
Findings
In studies with thousands of participants, people who scored higher on the Cognitive Reflection Test, a measure of the tendency to stop and think rather than go with a first instinct, were better at telling real headlines from fake ones, whether the headlines favored their own party or the other. The authors concluded that a lack of careful reasoning explained susceptibility better than partisan motivation.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The study supports simple defenses such as pausing to consider accuracy before sharing, while later research has debated how much partisanship also matters.