Study: Using Humor To Combat Science Misinformation

We can be able to combat science misinformation using humor. Information on this scientific finding is found in Science Daily. Here is an excerpt:

Misinformation in public debates about scientific issues such as vaccinations and climate change can be found all over the internet, especially on social media. In a new study, Sara K. Yeo, associate professor of communication at the University of Utah, examines why it’s so difficult to detect science misinformation and suggests that using humor may help combat the issue.

In the article, published in Proceedings of National Academics of Sciences, Yeo and her colleague Meaghan McKasy, assistant professor of communication at Utah Valley University, argue that limited science and media literacy combined with structural constraints such as fewer science journalists and a decreasing number of local newspapers, curtail the ability to discern fact from falsehood. Readers also tend to use mental shortcuts — shaped from political ideology, religious values and unconscious bias — to sift through the deluge of information, which can further complicate the ability to identify false news.

“Misinformation is often packaged or framed in simplistic and emotional ways,” said Yeo. “Consider online ‘clickbait’ as an example: Such content often has captivating titles that promote seemingly scandalous information. This encourages the use of mental shortcuts, which can make detecting and parsing falsehoods a challenge.”

Read the full article through this link.