Perception of Real vs. Fake Information

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Deception, or in other words, information that does not reflect reality, created or delivered with the intention of duping the receiver, is increasingly prevalent in the age of social media. With virtual reality, augmented reality, uncontrolled mass communication, and new forms of fiction, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate truth from deception. Moreover, brain mechanisms and other physiological correlates underlying the processing and acceptance of deceptive information remain largely unknown. This study will be a critical first step in understanding how deceitful information becomes endorsed by individuals susceptible to fake news beliefs and conspiracy theories, consequently facilitating counteract measures in the future.

The first aim of this study is to establish and validate a strong experimental paradigm for investigating the neurocognitive processes underlying the belief in deceptive (i.e., Fake/Real) information. It should be noted that real and fake in this study is defined by the factual accuracy of the information based on current credible news. The second aim is to investigate how these processes can be experimentally modulated and the extent of their impact on one’s deception appraisal. This paradigm will then help to build a computational model of reality belief which in turn will be used to predict the effect of specific interventions.

Dominique Makowski
Dominique Makowski
Collaborator

Trained as neuropsychologist and CBT psychotherapist, I am currently working as a lecturer at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, where where we study the neurophysiological underpinnings of reality perception.

Zhong Miao
Zhong Miao
Research Fellow
Wilson Lim
Wilson Lim
Research Associate & Coordinator for Educational Neuroscience Projects

Wilson is currently a Research Associate at the Clinical Brain Lab.

Catherine (Shuhan) Wang
Catherine (Shuhan) Wang
Research Associate

Catherine is currently a Research Associate at the Clinical Brain Lab.

Sarah Ayub
Sarah Ayub
Research Assistant for Project PROOF

Sarah is currently a Research Assistant at the Clinical Brain Lab.

Annabel Chen
Annabel Chen
Professor of Psychology
Lab Director

Dr. SH Annabel Chen is a clinical neuropsychologist, and currently a Faculty member of Psychology at the School of Social Sciences.

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