This page offers the latest information about workshop series by WINPEC (Waseda Institute of Political Economy).
Empirical/Positive Political Science
Mathieu Turgeon
(Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario)
Oct. 22
2024
| Title |
Misinformation and threats to self-interest |
| Date |
October 22, 2024 (Tuesday) 17:00-18:40 |
| Location |
Room 704, Building 3 |
| Abstract |
Is misinformation influential when the false information it conveys directly threatens one’s self-interest? We adopt a vignette experiment to examine how self-interest affects support for government policies among those whose interests are at stake. In 2019, the Bolsonaro government in Brazil was pushing hard to pass a major reform of social security through Congress. To bolster public support, false information was being circulated on social media about what could be some of the consequences if the government failed to reform social security. These false messages appeared as large and tangible material threats to some segments of society. We explore the extent to which these fake threats were successful in increasing support for social security reform among the targeted groups. Our findings show that they did not. They actually backfired. |
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