Abstract
The proliferation of fake news in digital environments has become a pressing concern in contemporary society, exacerbated by the ease of dissemination facilitated by online platforms. This study explores the factors influencing individuals’ ability to detect fake news, focusing on the roles of individualist/collectivist orientation, fact-checking habits, and trust in fact-checkers. Drawing on a quantitative approach, data were collected via a self-administered online questionnaire targeting internet users exposed to disinformation. Results from 377 respondents revealed that while collectivist orientation did not significantly affect the ability to detect fake news, factors such as fact-checking habits and awareness of fact-checkers played crucial roles. Participants who engaged in fact-checking activities and demonstrated higher levels of awareness and monitoring of fact-checkers exhibited greater proficiency in identifying fake news. However, trust in fact-checkers did not emerge as a significant predictor, possibly due to respondents’ limited familiarity with fact-checking entities. The findings underscore the importance of promoting media literacy and enhancing accessibility to reliable fact-checking resources to combat the spread of fake news. By understanding the factors that influence individuals’ ability to discern misinformation, efforts can be directed at empowering users to navigate the digital landscape more effectively and contribute to a more informed and resilient society.
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This work is financed by Portuguese national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, under the project UIDB/05422/2020.
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Bernardo, S., Oliveira, L. (2025). Influence of Fact-Checking Habits, Trust, and Collectivist Orientation on the Ability to Detect Fake News. In: Abreu, A., Carvalho, J.V., Mesquita, A., Sousa Pinto, A., Mendonça Teixeira, M. (eds) Perspectives and Trends in Education and Technology. ICITED 2024. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 859. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78155-1_32
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