Susceptibility to misinfo (VR)

Susceptibility to misinformation during disasters

With Hannah Nohlen, Colin Kuehnhanss, Kaloyan Mitev, Marco Otte and Shaul Shalvi

“Without information, people can neither understand nor effectively respond to the events that shape their world.” - UNHCR report.

Abstract: Correct information is essential for resilience during disasters. The more precise and up-to-date information people have on the (expected) impact of a disaster on themselves, the better their ability to respond in a timely and effective way. The more stressful a situation is perceived to be, the more urgently people will seek to clarify it in order to alleviate their own anxiety. In such situations, rumors can compensate for information and knowledge gaps. Uncertainty in a threatening situation paired with information scarcity can be a breeding ground for misinformation. We are exploring people’s susceptibility to misinformation during a disaster (“hot phase”) to learn about factors that can increase resilience and can be addressed in the “cold phase”. We are developing an experimental study using a virtual reality environment to simulate a disaster event with participants in 2-3 countries. The study will provide insights into the extent to which people are susceptible to misinformation during disaster events of varying severity. The results will inform disaster preparedness initiatives.

Link to the European Commission Behavioural Insights project page here.