10 theories
People tend to believe that the information is true when they are repeatedly exposed to it, increasing the perception of accuracy
Illusory truth effect (Vasu et al. 2018; Fazio et al., 2019)
People tend to believe the information provided by those whom they perceive as credible
Source effect (Pornpitakpan, 2004)
People tend to form conclusive opinions as a result of information that they first acquired
Primary effect (Vasu et al., 2018)
People tend to believe in information that is aligned with their ideological predispostions
Ideology effect (Vasu et al., 2018)
People tend to seek or interpret evidence that is aligned with their beliefs and values
Confirmation bias (Vasu et al., 2018)
Dogmatic individuals and religious fundamentalists are more likely to believe false news
Dogma or religion effect (Bronstein et al., 2019)
Delusion-prone individuals are more likely to accept fake news because they have a low tendency to engage in analytic and open-minded thinking
Delusion effect (Bronstein et al., 2019)
People who often fail to distinguish truth from falsehood often lack careful reasoning and relevant knowledge
Lack of reflective reasoning (Pennycook and Rand, 2019)
People who have no concern for truth are more likely to believe in fake news
Bullshit receptivity (Pennycook and Rand, 2019)
People who tend to "self-enhance" when asked about their familiarity with general knowledge tend to believe in fake news
Overclaiming (Pennycook and Rand, 2019)