Are accuracy discernment and sharing of COVID-19 misinformation associated with older age and lower neurocognitive functioning?

ABSTRACT: The online proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation led to adverse health and societal consequences. This study investigated possible differences in COVID-19 headline accuracy discernment and online sharing of COVID-19 misinformation between older and younger adults, as well as the role of individual differences in global cognition, health literacy and verbal IQ. Fifty-two younger (18-35 years old) and fifty older adults (age 50 and older) completed a neurocognitive battery, health literacy and numeracy measures, and self-report questionnaires via telephone. Participants also completed a social media headline-sharing experiment (Pennycook et al., Psychological science, 31(7), 770-780, 2020) in which they were presented with true and false COVID-19 headlines about which they i

SUBMITTER: Matchanova A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9991876 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature