Why 'Information That Stirs Emotions' Is Believed More Than 'Correct Information'

Information that begins with phrases like 'You absolutely need to know this'—perhaps that is exactly the kind of information we should pause and look at more carefully.

I work as a certified public psychologist observing how the human mind functions, and recently, while reading an overseas research report* analyzing foreign information manipulation titled 'Decision Making and National Unity Under Threat', I was reminded of something. What determines whether or not someone is easily swayed by information is not the amount of knowledge they have, nor their intelligence. It is a small 'habit' that exists in everyone's heart.

Today, I would like to think together from a psychological perspective about 'why people are so strongly moved by certain information.' By the time you finish reading, your perspective on news and social media might change just a little.

The reason 'emotion' wins over 'correctness'

The human mind is originally designed to prioritize 'whether it is important to me' over 'whether it is accurate.' In psychology, this is sometimes called emotional primacy, but simply put, information that strongly stirs the heart is much more likely to be remembered and shared than dry facts.

The aforementioned report* introduced a case where a video, in which a prominent figure used provocative language to incite anxiety and anger over divisive political issues in a certain country, was viewed millions of times. The strength to stir emotions has an overwhelmingly greater power to move people than the accuracy of the content. This does not happen only to specific people; the same circuitry exists within all of us.

What is important is that the 'moment your emotions are strongly stirred' is actually the sign that you should pause the most. When your heart is troubled by anger, anxiety, or strong empathy, take a deep breath and ask yourself, 'Why am I being so moved by this?' Just doing that will change how you distance yourself from information.

The pitfall created by the desire to maintain 'consistency' in the mind

Another thing is that the human mind has a strong desire to 'keep one's thoughts consistent.' In psychology, this is called cognitive dissonance. For example, if you feel that 'this problem is serious' but also hold the contradictory feeling that 'I trust the people handling it,' we feel a sense of discomfort somewhere.

The same report* also stated that about one in four citizens in a certain country held these contradictory perceptions simultaneously. This contradiction itself is neither rare nor shameful. This is because the human mind is not inherently perfectly consistent to begin with.

The problem lies in the fact that when an 'easy-to-understand story' that resolves this discomfort is offered, people are strongly attracted to it. It is a very natural movement of the heart to want to believe a storyteller who seems to have carefully scooped up your existing dissatisfaction or anxiety and said, 'What you are feeling is correct.' That is why existing dissatisfaction and social divisions are easily exploited from the outside.

The feeling that 'I am okay' is the biggest blind spot

The third point might feel a bit surprising. It is often thought that those who are easily swayed by information are aware of it, but in reality, it is the opposite. In the world of psychology, it has long been known that people tend to think that 'others are more easily influenced by information than I am.' This is a very human mental habit called the third-person effect.

In the same report*, while many people recognized that 'this problem is serious,' about one in five answered 'I don't know' regarding whether 'the side handling it is functioning properly.' There is a greater distance than one might think between recognizing a crisis and actually acting or remaining interested.

I hope you will keep in the back of your mind the paradox that those who think, 'I am fine because I have information literacy,' are actually the most vulnerable.

So, what can we do?

These mental habits cannot be eliminated. However, just knowing about them changes the landscape significantly.

For example, take a breath before sharing posts that stir strong emotions. Check, even just a little, where the source is, what position the person holds, and what their intentions are. Try looking at information from angles you don't usually see regarding the same topic. These are all modest things, but the accumulation of such small habits is actually the most effective 'mental defense.'

And one more thing: valuing media that conducts reliable reporting and verification, as well as information from experts, is a sure step, even if it seems like a detour. The work of carefully building facts is modest and less conspicuous compared to information that incites emotions, but that is precisely why I feel we, as readers, need to consciously support it.

Conclusion

Today, I shared three mental habits that make us susceptible to being swayed by information, from the perspective of psychology. The first is that information that triggers strong emotions tends to leave a deeper impression on our memory and behavior. The second is that we are easily drawn to 'easy-to-understand stories' that resolve conflicting feelings. And the third is that the feeling of 'it won't happen to me' can actually be our biggest blind spot.

These are not problems of weak will or lack of knowledge. As long as we are human, these are mental mechanisms that everyone possesses. That is precisely why I hope you will start by 'knowing' them, rather than blaming yourself. Just by knowing, your reaction the next time your emotions are strongly stirred will surely change.

You already possess the power to stop and think. Nothing would make me happier than if what I shared today serves as a trigger to help you recall that power.

Thank you so much for staying with me until the end. I hope today's article serves as a starting point for you to think about your steps from tomorrow onwards.

Source

*The research data introduced in this article refers to the following report. Interpretations and considerations from a psychological perspective are the author's own.

Marcus Kolga, Jennie Phillips, Brian McQuinn, Bartel Van de Walle. Decision Making and National Unity Under Threat: Foreign Interference, Cognitive Sovereignty, and the Alberta Referendum. Global Centre for Democratic Resilience, CIPHER AI, DisinfoWatch, CASi Labs, published May 6, 2026.
https://disinfowatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Alberta-and-Foreign-Interference-Report-Final-052026-web.pdf

<Report Summary>

This PDF contains the contents of the report 'Decision Making and National Unity Under Threat' jointly released in May 2026 by multiple Canadian think tanks and research institutions (including CIPHER AI, DisinfoWatch, Global Centre for Democratic Resilience, and CASi Labs). It analyzes how foreign powers are threatening Canada's 'cognitive sovereignty' regarding the Alberta separatist movement. Below is a summary of approximately 3,000 characters.

Background and Purpose

The Alberta separatist movement is not something created by foreign powers, but a domestic issue rooted in actual grievances such as energy policy, federal-provincial relations, and a sense of economic unfairness. However, as of April 2026, support for separation reached 27%, the highest in the past five years, and the main theme of this report is how foreign powers are exploiting this movement to undermine Canada's social cohesion and trust in democracy. In January 2026, the Alberta Election Commission began collecting signatures (requiring approximately 178,000) to hold a referendum on independence, and the report warns that foreign information manipulation will intensify during this process.

Three Threat Actors

The report identifies three types of foreign involvement actors with different characteristics.

The first is Russia. Based on a national strategy to identify and exploit divisive issues in Western countries (confirmed by a 2024 FBI affidavit), Russia is doctrinally, operationally, and sustainably involved in Alberta separatism. Since 2019, state media Sputnik has focused on the Wexit movement, and a website called 'albertaseparatist.com' linked to the Prigozhin-affiliated information operation 'Storm 1516' has been confirmed since May 2025. Furthermore, between December 2025 and April 2026, 67 articles related to Alberta were published on Russia's 'Pravda News Network,' far exceeding those on Ontario (14). The content depicted the separatist movement as popular, emphasized economic exploitation by Canada, and suggested the possibility of foreign recognition.

The second is the United States. U.S. involvement is overt, not covert, and has escalated under the Trump administration. Separatist leaders claim to have had at least three contacts with senior State Department officials, with reports of meetings in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and even talk of a $500 billion credit line. Treasury Secretary Bessent has also publicly expressed support for Alberta's independence. Additionally, MAGA-affiliated influencers such as Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Benny Johnson, and Tim Pool (with a combined following of tens of millions) are spreading content inciting Alberta's independence and annexation by the U.S. Carlson, in particular, stated that 'Canada is not a sovereign nation' and that 'regime change is a possible discussion,' and this video was reposted by Russian state media RT.

Even more shocking is the convergence point of both: the Tenet Media incident. Pool and Johnson were involved in the media organization, which is alleged to have received approximately $10 million in funding from the Russian government, and it is considered a real-world example where Russian funds, U.S. influencers, and separatist discourse have merged.

The third is economic opportunists. Fake content called 'slopaganda,' which uses generative AI combined with paid voice actors, is being spread on YouTube channels such as 'Canadian Reporter.' Although these pretend to be real Alberta residents, it has been revealed that they are actually performed by voice actors based in the U.S. and the Netherlands.

Public Opinion Situation

In public opinion polls, concerns about the U.S. (39% in July 2024 to a peak of 71% in April 2026) have overtaken concerns about Russia (52% to 42%). This is because U.S. involvement is visible, while Russian involvement is covert and harder to perceive. Approximately 94% of Canadians agree that 'the U.S. is no longer a reliable ally,' and about 77% consider statements by U.S. politicians supporting the separatist movement to be inappropriate. However, there are differences in temperature across generations, parties, and regions, with younger people and PPC (People's Party) supporters tending to be more tolerant of U.S. intervention. Also, about 30% of Canadians harbor a 'trust gap' where they 'take the threat of separation seriously but do not trust the politicians' response,' and this group is concentrated in Alberta and Quebec.

Vulnerability

The report points out three structural vulnerabilities in Canada's information environment: (1) the 'cross-platform coordination blind spot,' where coordinated operations across multiple platforms cannot be detected by a single monitoring system; (2) the 'lack of algorithmic transparency,' where the spread of information cannot be grasped due to the opacity of algorithms; and (3) the 'lack of correlation analysis between information sources,' where threat intelligence from federal, provincial, and civil society sources is not integrated in real-time.

Future Risk Predictions and Recommendations

Looking ahead, it is predicted that different disinformation risks will increase in three stages: (1) the signature verification and legal procedure period (the next 30-60 days), (2) the referendum campaign period (summer to October), and (3) after the results are announced. It is believed that distrust at each stage, such as claims of illegal disposal of signatures, false claims regarding voting eligibility or voter fraud, and allegations of fraud or tampering with results, will cascade and amplify into the next stage.

As for recommendations, roles are organized for policymakers regarding the expansion of Bill C-70 and the introduction of EU Digital Services Act-style regulations, for law enforcement regarding whistleblower protection, for the media and communications sector regarding proactive information dissemination, and for citizens regarding the improvement of media literacy and support for local independent journalism.

Conclusion

The report concludes that while the debate surrounding Alberta's separation is a legitimate democratic discussion, it identifies the efforts of foreign governments, state-affiliated media, and ideological or profit-driven networks to distort this as 'dangerous,' and asserts that building trust before the referendum gains full momentum is not merely 'preparation' but the 'primary defense strategy.'

#Psychology #CognitiveBias #InformationLiteracy #MediaLiteracy #CertifiedPublicPsychologist