The Impact of Affect on the Perception of Fake News on Social Media: A Systematic Review

Rana Ali Adeeb () and Mahdi Mirhoseini
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Rana Ali Adeeb: Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, John Molson School of Business, 1450 Guy St, Montreal, QC H3H 0A1, Canada
Mahdi Mirhoseini: Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, John Molson School of Business, 1450 Guy St, Montreal, QC H3H 0A1, Canada

Social Sciences, 2023, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-24

Abstract: Social media platforms, which are ripe with emotionally charged pieces of information, are vulnerable to the dissemination of vast amounts of misinformation. Little is known about the affective processing that underlies peoples’ belief in and dissemination of fake news on social media, with the research on fake news predominantly focusing on cognitive processing aspects. This study presents a systematic review of the impact of affective constructs on the perception of fake news on social media platforms. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases to identify relevant articles on the topics of affect, misinformation, disinformation, and fake news. A total of 31 empirical articles were obtained and analyzed. Seven research themes and four research gaps emerged from this review. The findings of this review complement the existing literature on the cognitive mechanisms behind how people perceive fake news on social media. This can have implications for technology platforms, governments, and citizens interested in combating infodemics.

Keywords: fake news; misinformation; affect; emotion; social media; belief; intent to share (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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