The Habit of 'Mental Vaccination' Used by People Who Don't Get Fooled by Misinformation

'If you drink this, your cancer will be cured,' 'Vaccines contain such and such'—if you open social media, such information flows by as if it were normal.

Don't you think, 'I won't be fooled'?

Actually, I used to think so too. I work as a healthcare professional and hold a licensed psychologist qualification. So, I thought I was safe.

But psychological research presents a cruel fact: 'The human brain is not designed to judge the truth or falsehood of information'.

In 2020, the WHO declared an 'infodemic' (an explosion of information). Misinformation regarding health is spreading around the world like a virus.

Today, based on the latest scientific findings compiled by the American Psychological Association (APA), I will talk about why we believe misinformation and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones.

American Psychological Association
Using psychology to understand and fight health misinformation

An APA consensus statement

Our brains are not 'truth-judging machines'

First, let me share a somewhat shocking experimental result.

Researchers in the United States asked people this question: 'How many animals of each kind did Moses take on Noah's Ark?'

Most people answered 'two'.

But wait a minute. It was Noah who built the ark, not Moses. Even people with knowledge of the Bible did not notice this mistake.

This is a phenomenon called 'knowledge neglect'. When our brains receive new information, they first put all their effort into 'understanding it.' 'Verifying whether it is correct' is left for later.

In other words, we are 'bad at comparing even things we should know with new information'.

Do you understand what this means?

When we see health information flowing on social media, our brains do not automatically check, 'Is this true?' Rather, it slips smoothly into our heads. And once information has entered, even if we find out later that it was a lie, it does not completely disappear.

'Repetition' turns lies into truth

In psychology, there is a concept called 'the illusory truth effect'.

Simply put, it means that information heard repeatedly starts to feel true.

For example, someone who reads the sentence 'The Minotaur is a one-eyed giant from Greek mythology' twice is more likely to think 'this is true' than someone who has only read it once. By the way, the one-eyed giant is a Cyclops, and the Minotaur is a bull-headed monster.

What is terrifying is that this effect occurs 'even if you know the correct answer yourself.'

When I learned this, it sent a chill down my spine.

On social media, the same health information is retweeted and shared over and over again. Anxiety about vaccines, the effects of specific supplements, information about 'eating X will cure you.' As we see it repeatedly, our brains unconsciously judge 'frequently seen information' as 'reliable information.'

According to research, this effect is strongest during the first few exposures. In other words, misinformation 'becomes easier to believe the more you don't stop it early on.'

The pitfall of 'If that person says so'

We humans are social creatures. 'Who said it' influences our judgment as much as—or sometimes even more than—'what was said.'

In one experiment, researchers created a fictional social media influencer and had them continuously post health-related misinformation. As a result, the more people felt the influencer was 'trustworthy,' the more their trust in public health institutions declined.

This is a very serious problem for us medical professionals.

When a patient starts by saying, 'Doctor, I saw this on the internet...', the source of that information is increasingly some 'charismatic health influencer.' And the more they trust that person, the harder it becomes for our explanations to get through.

However, what is important here is not to blame the patient.

Believing the words of someone you think is trustworthy—this is an extremely natural human reaction. The problem is that on social media, anyone can act like an 'expert.' The perceived reliability and actual expertise have become disconnected.

Emotions cloud judgment

In 2020, a conspiracy theory video called 'Plandemic' spread explosively on social media. In just a few days, it garnered over 2.5 million reactions on Facebook. It spread faster than Taylor Swift concert footage or reunion projects for popular TV dramas.

Why did it spread so much?

Researchers found the reason in 'novelty' and 'emotion.'

According to a large-scale study analyzing misinformation spread on Twitter, misinformation evokes emotions like 'surprise,' 'fear,' and 'disgust' more strongly than accurate information. And when we feel strong emotions, we tend to want to share it.

I have to let everyone know about this!

That impulse almost always comes from good intentions. However, those good intentions end up accelerating the spread of misinformation. It is an ironic structure, but it is the reality.

The closed world of the 'echo chamber'

Social media has another troublesome characteristic. It is a phenomenon called the 'echo chamber'.

Algorithms prioritize displaying things we are likely to 'like.' As a result, we become surrounded by people with similar opinions, and our opportunities to encounter different perspectives decrease.

Research on vaccines has visualized how American Twitter users are clearly divided into 'pro-vaccine' and 'vaccine-skeptic' camps, with almost no interaction between them. It is as if they are on two separate planets.

What is scary is that once you enter an echo chamber, it is difficult to realize you are inside one. Because everyone around you is saying the same thing, it starts to feel like 'common sense'.

A ray of hope—the concept of 'psychological vaccination'

You might feel a bit gloomy after reading this far.

But please rest assured. Psychologists are also researching ways to counter misinformation.

The most promising among them is 'prebunking', an approach also known as 'psychological vaccination'.

Just as real vaccines build immunity using a weakened virus, by being exposed to a 'weak form' of misinformation in advance, you build resistance to real misinformation.

Specifically, you learn in advance about the tactics often used in misinformation—emotional manipulation, fake experts, and conspiratorial thinking. Then, when you actually encounter those tactics, it becomes easier to realize, 'Oh, this is that pattern.'

In the online game 'Go Viral!' developed by the WHO and the UN, players simulate the experience of being a creator of COVID-19 misinformation. Results show that in just a five-minute game, the ability to spot misinformation improves, and that effect lasts for over a week.

Fact-checking is not a 'panacea,' but it works

'If you find misinformation, you should just correct it with accurate information.'

It is easy to think that, but it is actually not that simple.

Fact-checking (post-hoc correction) is certainly effective. According to meta-analyses, its impact is significant and it is known to work regardless of age or culture.

However, there are some limitations.

First, even after correction, the influence of misinformation does not completely disappear. This is called the "continued influence effect." Information once believed continues to remain in the brain as a "shadow."

Second, there are people whom fact-checks do not reach. In particular, the more strongly people believe in the original misinformation, the more they tend to avoid corrections.

And third, it cannot keep up with the speed of misinformation production. While one lie is being verified, 100 new lies are born—such a situation has become routine.

That is why, post-fact correction (debunking) is not enough; pre-emptive prevention (prebunking) is also important.

Three things we can do

Finally, based on the recommendations of the APA, I will share what we can do in our daily lives.

The first is to "take a breath."

If you feel strong emotions, it might be a warning sign. When you think, "I have to tell everyone!", try waiting just 10 seconds before pressing the share button. Ask yourself, "Is this information really accurate?" That momentary pause has the power to stop the chain of misinformation.

The second is to "check the source."

Who is saying it? Is that person really an expert? Is the same thing being said by other reliable sources? Especially for health-related information, make it a habit to check on the websites of public institutions. Just by searching for something like "[Disease Name] Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare," you can access highly reliable information.

The third is to "know the tactics of misinformation."

Expressions that stir up emotions, conspiracy theory frames like "the truth that [someone] is hiding," and phrases like "what doctors won't tell you"—just knowing these patterns gives you considerable defensive power. If you have children, please try discussing media literacy with them.

Conclusion—Your "caution" saves someone

We live surrounded by more information than ever before in human history. Among it, there is information that saves lives, and information that puts lives at risk.

And our brains—to repeat—are not designed to automatically determine the truth or falsehood of information.

But just by knowing that, you are already one step ahead.

People who can pause and ask, "Is this information true?" People who can check sources without being swayed by emotions. Every time one more such person increases, the spread of misinformation slows down little by little.

Your caution not only protects you, but also safeguards the health of your loved ones and even people you don't know.

If you have read this article, I am sure you can do it.

Why not change your mindset just a little bit starting today?

#HealthLiteracy #FakeNewsPrevention #HowToUseSocialMedia #Psychology #CertifiedPublicPsychologist