Disinformation and its effects on society

This article is part of the series Research in brief: Quick reads for the 2024 Parliament, produced for new Members of Parliament after the 2024 general election.

Disinformation can draw people in by appealing to their emotions and biases. It is usually created to influence public opinion, and can be disseminated to a wide audience instantly through social media. MPs deal with information constantly, and being able to evaluate information is a key part being a legislator.

What is disinformation?

Disinformation is the deliberate creation and spreading of false and/or manipulated content. Misinformation is the unintentional creation and spreading of such information.

Although disinformation is an old concept, it now has the potential to spread faster and further through social media and online communication applications such as WhatsApp. Disinformation comes in many forms, including:

• fabricating new content
• manipulating existing content
• impersonating trusted sources
• using misleading context
• creating false connections
• using satire and parody to mislead

Disinformation is usually created to appeal to emotions and exploit biases to influence public opinion. It is often timed to coincide strategically with events such as elections. Organisations such as the World Health Organization and World Economic Forum consider it a risk, because of its perceived potential to undermine democratic processes and promote social unrest.

You can read more about disinformation in the POSTnote Disinformation: sources, spread and impact.

Disinformation and ‘spin’ in statistics

Statistical evidence can be presented in ways that mislead. This can be done without falsifying data, through subtle manipulations (known as ‘spin’) that can be hard to spot.

Examples of spin include:

• only including data that supports a particular case
• leaving out historical, geographical or other data that provides important context
• not comparing like with like
• ignoring uncertainty or exploiting it by only reporting maximum or minimum values
• using survey data from unrepresentative samples, with leading questions or which is reported selectively
• using financial data over long time periods with no adjustment for inflation

Charts can also be altered in different ways to spin data. For example:

The Library’s briefing How to spot spin and inappropriate use of statistics includes examples and tips on identifying statistical disinformation.

How does disinformation influence people?

Research suggests that people may be more likely to believe disinformation if it aligns with pre-existing beliefs, provokes an emotional response, comes from a source they trust or if they are repeatedly exposed to it. There is evidence that people are more likely to believe disinformation if they distrust public institutions, such as government, the police and mainstream media.

Research indicates that disinformation can influence beliefs, but evidence that it influences behaviour is inconclusive. Tentative evidence from isolated case studies suggests that disinformation has contributed to non-compliance with public health advice (such as vaccine uptake) and local violence. However, multiple factors usually influence behavioural changes, including pre-existing beliefs, cultural/religious values, education and location.

Authors: Paul Bolton, Anne-Lise Harding, and Clare Lally