HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article
Front. Soc. Psychol.
Sec. Intergroup Relations and Group Processes
Volume 3 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsps.2025.1621794
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CYCLE OF MISINFORMATION: AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF LEGITIMATION PERCEPTION IN SOCIAL NETWORKS
Provisionally accepted
- Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
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This theoretical article proposes an integrative model to understand the dissemination of misinformation on social networks, articulating three central pillars of social and cognitive psychology: overconfidence bias, social conformity, and cognitive dissonance. It is argued that these factors interact to favor the perception of legitimacy and repeated sharing of false information, even in the face of corrective evidence. The model describes a psychosocial cycle composed of exposure, judgment, action, dissonance, and rationalization. We identify theoretical conditions for the delegitimization of misinformation and analyze how the digital environment intensifies the described psychosocial mechanisms. The model contributes to theoretical reflection by articulating previously isolated constructs into an integrated explanatory theory, offering implications for both future research and practical interventions in combating misinformation.
Keywords: misinformation, social networks, Overconfidence, Social Conformity, Cognitive Dissonance, social psychology
Received: 01 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 NASCIMENTO. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: IVAN KAMINSKI DO NASCIMENTO, Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), Brasília, Brazil
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