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Title details for Foolproof by Sander van der Linden - Available

Foolproof

Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity

by Sander van der Linden
Sander van der Linden
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
From fake news to conspiracy theories, from inflammatory memes to misleading headlines, misinformation has swiftly become the defining problem of our era. The crisis threatens the integrity of our democracies, our ability to cultivate trusting relationships, even our physical and psychological well-being-yet most attempts to combat it have proven insufficient. With remarkable clarity, Sander van der Linden explains why our brains are so vulnerable to misinformation. Like a virus, misinformation infects our minds, exploiting shortcuts in how we see and process information to alter our beliefs, modify our memories, and replicate at astonishing rates. Once the virus takes hold, it's very hard to cure. But we aren't helpless. As van der Linden shows based on award-winning original research, we can cultivate immunity through the innovative science of "prebunking": inoculating people against false information by preemptively exposing them to a weakened dose, thus empowering them to identify and fend off its manipulative tactics. Deconstructing the characteristic techniques of conspiracies and misinformation, van der Linden gives listeners practical tools to defend themselves and others against nefarious persuasion-whether at scale or around their own dinner table.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 16, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696612500
      • File size: 293339 KB
      • Duration: 10:11:07

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 20, 2023
      Social psychologist Van der Linden debuts with a fascinating look at what makes people susceptible to conspiracy theories and other forms of misinformation and what to do about it. Analyzing Nazi propaganda campaigns, a debunked 1998 research paper linking the MMR vaccine to autism, Donald Trump’s “big lie” that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and mob lynchings in India sparked by false child trafficking rumors spread on WhatsApp, van der Linden delves into the psychological and behavioral factors that make misinformation spread so fast and stick around so long. In one experiment, the mere presence of misinformation in an article about climate change “completely cancelled out” the change of perception people would have otherwise had from learning that 97% of scientists agree global warming is human-caused. Emphasizing similarities between the spread of misinformation and the spread of a physical virus, van der Linden calls for people to be forewarned of impending misinformation and given the arguments and cognitive tools they need to resist it; an online game developed by van der Linden and a team of researchers accomplishes just this sort of “inoculation.” Thoroughly researched and lucidly written, this is a standout guide to one of the world’s most pressing social issues.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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