Article in Computers in Human Behavior Reports about disinformation

Disinformation, defined as false information deliberately created and communicated as true to influence beliefs or behavior, poses a growing threat to democratic societies and public discourse. This study examined patterns of disinformation exposure, trust, and sharing among adults in the Czech Republic—a small European democratic country. Using survey data from 3240 participants collected in June 2023, we investigated how sociodemographic factors relate to these dimensions of disinformation engagement.

Findings show that older individuals, those with lower educational attainment, and women are more likely to trust disinformation. Prior exposure was strongly associated with increased trust in disinformation narratives, consistent with the familiarity effect described in prior research. Trust, in turn, was the strongest predictor of sharing behavior, suggesting that disinformation is often spread by individuals who genuinely believe it, rather than by deliberate deceivers.

By combining real-world narratives with a standardized assessment framework, this study provides insight into who is most vulnerable to disinformation and why. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how disinformation circulates in the general population and which groups are most susceptible.