In the article "Explaining the Gist of Why Misinformation Is False May Help Curb the Spread of It," GW Media Relations covered the findings of a new study led by Associate Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering David Broniatowski. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, focuses on understanding the sharing of misinformation online and how to respond more effectively to help curb its spread.
Here is an excerpt from the article: "researchers found that people are more likely to share misinformation if it is easy to understand and conveys a clear, simple message -- essentially, the gist of the information. However, the team also found that accurate information, if conveyed similarly in a clear, simple, yet insightful, gist-based format, can effectively deter people from sharing misinformation. The key is in the gist-based format -- neither too simple (e.g. "This is false") nor too detailed (e.g., a decontextualized list of facts)."
Read the full article on the GW Media Relations website.