Why disinformation sticks 2/4

Cognitive resistance to correction

Correcting misinformation takes more mental energy than simply accepting it. When we are exposed to a false claim, we may believe it without much thought. But rejecting it means we must pause, question, and rethink what we’ve heard. If someone is not particularly interested in the topic—such as climate science—or feels overwhelmed by information, they are more likely to accept the false claim than challenge it.

“People are more likely to accept information that is easy to process… and more likely to reject information that is difficult to reconcile with their existing mental model.”