We will outline the landscape of misinformation by zooming in on various contexts and domains of false information: e.g. how does misinformation presents itself in the health domain, how it can be regarded as a persuasive political communication tactic, and how it may be spread by (big tech) corporations. The course will also explore how different audiences (younger, older generations) are confronted with misinformation across different offline and online platforms.

This course will delve deeper into the individual level of processing false information. What psychological processes make people more susceptible to misinformation? We will discuss the role of cognitive factors, as well as socio-affective factors such as biases and heuristics, emotions, and motivated reasoning. We will also consider the psychology behind the workings of different interventions.

This course will delve deeper into the role that emerging technologies play in enhancing the threats (but also remedies) of misinformation. For example, misinformation is amplified by the digital communication ecology, whereas AI can create hyper-realistic disinformation narratives (deep fakes) whilst maximizing their impact through algorithmic persuasion. The course will explore how social media’s affordances and AI may shape the content, dissemination, effects, and remedies of false information.

We will discuss the wider context in which mis- and disinformation are embedded: Issues toward declining trust in institutions and corporations, including the mass media. It will further explain how disinformation may exist as a weaponized issue and blame-shifting label delegitimizing corporate actors and the media. It will also consider how different organizations have to deal with an information environment in which trust is in constant decline.

Crucially, if misinformation is seen as a threat to society, we should also prevent or counter its negative impact. The final course will therefore be practically oriented: Based on the knowledge gained in the minor, you will design your own intervention to either prevent or counter misinformation. You will work on one of four cases developed with stakeholders from practice (related to corporate, entertainment, persuasive, and political communication).