The Dynamics of Misinformation Sharing: The Mediated Role of News-Finds-Me Perception and the Moderated Role of Partisan Social Identity

Abstract

The spread of misinformation on social media could pose a significant risk to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Users with a high news-finds-me perception (NFMP) can be especially vulnerable to misinformation because they believe themselves to be well-informed. This belief, paradoxically, can result in them being less informed and consequently increase the likelihood of them sharing misinformation. This association can be further intensified among individuals with a strong political identity. To explore the dynamics of misinformation sharing and the impact of NFMP, we employed structural equation modeling, drawing on a survey of U.S. adults. The result of serial mediation analysis suggested a direct association between social media usage and misinformation sharing and an indirect association through NFMP and susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. Moreover, this serial mediation model was moderated by partisan social identity. These findings expand the research on NFMP by highlighting its role in contributing to beliefs in misinformation and its sharing, particularly emphasizing NFMP as a low-effort information consumption behavior. Our results showed that even liberals, typically opposed to COVID-19 skepticism, could be vulnerable to COVID-19 misinformation. Our study underscores the importance of cognitive involvement in processing information on social media.