Survey data mixed combined with qualitative interviews on 732 academic authors affiliated with The Conversation Canada found that toxic online public comments lead to authors self-censoring and reducing their efforts to inform the public of research findings. Over 25% of the 732 respondents experienced toxic comments in either comment sections, on social media, and in their email accounts. Toxic comments were most commonly experienced to be ideological (70%), skeptical of expertise (47%), sexist (22%) or racist (16%).
Category: Misinformation 101
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Does Developing a Belief in One Conspiracy Theory Lead a Person to be More Likely to Believe in Others?
Longitudinal research on participants in Australia, New Zealand and the UK found evidence with small but significant effects that increased belief in one conspiracy theory could lead to increased beliefs in other conspiracies at a later time. This research contributes to ongoing efforts to demonstrate the validity of the “rabbit hole” theory, which is the idea that belief in conspiracy theories can grow when one conspiracy theory is believed.
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Mapping, understanding and reducing belief in misinformation about electric vehicles
Electric Vehicle (EV) misinformation includes ideas that EV’s emit electromagnetic fields harmful to human health and that EVs are more likely catch fire. Survey research on EV misinformation focused on Germany, Austria, Australia and the USA found that participants more often agreed than disagreed with EV misinformation statements. Conspiratorial thinking was the strongest predictor of such perspectives while education level was not a predictor.
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Misinformer Tactics: The Office Edition
It’s never too late (or early) to revisit a classic, and just like memes, misinformation can go viral and stick in people’s minds.
In fact, many humorous scenes from popular culture will make use of exaggerated behaviour and dialogue for comedic effect that ends up mirroring many common manipulation tactics and logical fallacies seen on social media. These can make us laugh when watching an obviously silly show and yet can subtly sway us in a more serious context.
What do you think? What memes from popular shows or from popular culture seem to mirror some of the manipulation tactics, biases, and fallacies you see online?
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Memes, just like misinformation, can go viral and stick in people’s minds. Have you also noticed how memes can sometimes mirror some common “manipulation tactics” and “logical fallacies"? 😏 👉 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati… #ScienceUpFirst
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 12:27 PM
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The Life of a Mythbuster
We might not be showgirls, but we know misinformation all too well.
Here are the tools you’ll need that never go out of style and be fearless in your myth busting (ScienceUpFirst’s version)
- Empathy & listening skills: A great myth buster listens like they’re hearing it for the first time, opens respectful dialogue, and approaches others with empathy, even when you’re never ever getting back together on opinions.
- The pause button: One of the easiest ways to stop misinformation? Pause before you post and ask: “Is this true?” Because sometimes the best move is to shake it off.
- Red flag radar: Learn to spot misinformers’ tricks before they begin again. You’ll see the red flags flying around.
- Source-check savvy: Read past the headlines, check credibility, and consult multiple trusted sources, because you want to be sure you are out of the woods, so check it once, then check it twice.
See a harmful claim? If you can, speak now (politely) before it spreads.
Sound like you? Then you belong with me (and by me, we mean us). 🧡❤️🔥🧡❤️🔥
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The Life of a Mythbuster (ScienceUpFirst Version) We might not be showgirls, but we know misinformation all too well. Here are the tools you’ll need that never go out of style and be fearless in your myth busting: scienceupfirst.com/misinformati… #ScienceUpFirst 1/2 🧵
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) August 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
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Best practices for source-based research on misinformation and news trustworthiness using NewsGuard
Evaluations of NewsGuard, a source providing trust-reliability ratings to popular news sources, overall found the site to offer fairly rigorous assessments of source trustworthiness. When using the site, this research recommends assessing the database critically by assessing, for example, trustworthiness ratings at multiple timepoints (and whether ratings have changed), as well as the methods used to determine the reliability ratings. Researchers are cautioned against assuming all content from an “untrustworthy” site has accuracy issues.
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The role of narratives in promoting vaccine confidence among Indigenous peoples in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: a scoping review
Results from a scoping review show that vaccine hesitancy among Indigenous can best be addressed by engaging communities and community leaders in the (co)creation of culturally relevant messaging that can include concise and coherent narratives. Mistrust in health care systems can be addressed through building respectful relationships among all parties.
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Perceptions and Concerns About Misinformation on Facebook in Canada, France, the US, and the UK
Survey research on the populations in four countries (Canada, France, UK, and the US) finds that overall perceptions and concerns of misinformation on Facebook are strongly correlated. France differs from the other three countries in that perceptions and concerns of misinformation on Facebook, while present, are decreasing over the past half decade. Perceptions of incivility among those discussing politics adds to the misinformation concerns.
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DIEA: A Glossary
Five years ago, organizations throughout the world were making commitments to diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility (DIEA) (12). Today, there is a backlash towards DIEA policies, with many being rolled back (13). But these terms are often misrepresented and misunderstood.
We break it down for you ☝️
Though some organizations are leaning away, our team is leaning in. Why? Because we know the evidence points towards teams being stronger and science working better when diverse perspectives are included (14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21).
Bonus Definitions 📝
- Bias: The conscious (explicit) or unconscious (implicit) opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination formed without reasonable justification that prevents a balanced or even-handed judgement (6).
- Stigma: Stigma is defined as negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviours about or toward an individual or group of people because of a characteristic they share. Stigma can include stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (22).
Share if you think these terms are getting a bad rap.
A big thank you to IDEA-STEM (@idea_stem) and Ingenium’s (@ingeniumcanada) truth, reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (TREDIA) team for reviewing this post.
Sources- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace | Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
- The Importance of DEI and Why it Matters | CultureAlly
- DEI: What it is and why you should have a strategy | Canadian Chamber of Commerce | February 2023
- Types of Diversity in the Workplace To Be Aware Of | CultureAlly
- What Does Intersectionality Mean? | CultureAlly
- Glossary of Terms | Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion | January 2022
- Disability inclusion glossary | Understood
- What DEI Is—And What It Isn’t | The Seeker Newsmagazine Cornwall | February 2025
- Three of the most popular DEI Myths debunked | Forbes | January 2024
- Can We Talk About What DEI Isn’t: 5 Myths I Hear All the Time | Medium | March 2025
- Explaining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA), The Trump Administration’s Recent Actions on DEIA, and the Impact on Disabled Americans | AAPD | February 2025
- The History of DEI: Why It’s Critical for Its Future Survival | Forbes | December 2024
- Corporate Mentions Of ‘DEI’ Dropped 72% In 2025, Analysis Finds | May 2025
- Our Approach | Canadian Association of Science Centres
- The 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage | Government of Canada
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) | May 2023
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medicine: Why It Matters and How do We Achieve It? | Journal of Surgical Education on ScienceDirect | August 2021
- The impact of diversity and equality management on firm performance: Beyond high performance work systems | Human Resource Management | November 2010
- How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation | BCG | January 2018
- How Diversity Can Drive Innovation | Harvard Business Review | December 2013
- Building a Diverse and Inclusive Public Service: Final Report of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion | Government of Canada
- Mental health – Recognizing and Addressing Stigma at Work | Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
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You may have heard of DIEA (diversity, inclusion, equity, accessibility), but often the deeper meaning gets lost. We’ve made a glossary with IDEA-STEM and reviewed by Ingenium @ingeniumcanada.bsky.social 👉 scienceupfirst.com/misinformation-101/diea-a-glossary/ #ScienceUpFirst
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) July 23, 2025 at 4:13 PM
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Skeptic vs Cynic
When you see a claim online, how do you process it? Do you believe everything you see? Or nothing? 🤔
Many people nowadays are cynical, meaning that they assume the worst of other people (1-4). Globally, trust in media, institutions, and fellow citizens is quite low (4-6). In Canada, only 33% believe that ‘most people can be trusted’ (7)! People who are cynical are more likely to dismiss information from media and institutions without evaluating the claim, because they assume the author is untrustworthy (2,8,9). This can actually make cynical people MORE likely to believe misinformation and conspiracy theories, which often criticize experts and people in power without evidence, appealing to a cynical perspective (10).
Of course, you can’t just believe everything you see online! Naïve trust means falling for scams, believing harmful misinformation, and being unable to determine which conflicting information is true (8,9).
The happy medium is to be skeptical. Skeptics question the claims they see and investigate them (1,2,4,8-11). They will not believe without proof, and can question their own assumptions, but will accept a fact or change their mind when provided with solid evidence (1,3). This level of questioning is healthy for democracy, can improve trust in media and confidence in other institutions, and can help skeptics be better informed and less likely to fall for false information and scams (3,8,9,11,12).
Explore our other posts for tips on fact checking, spotting misinformation, and developing your science and media literacy. 🔍
Feeling skeptical? Check out our sources!
Sources- Instead of Being Cynical, Try Becoming Skeptical | Behavioral Scientist | 7 October 2024
- How is skepticism different than cynicism? Find the answer in ancient Greece | Columbia Journalism Review | 15 October 2018
- Are You a Skeptic or a Cynic? | Psychology Today | 10 January 2025
- How Hopeful Skepticism Rather Than Cynicism Can Make A Big Difference | Forbes | 5 September 2024
- 30% of adults say most people can be trusted | Ipsos | 24 March 2022
- Trust and Distrust in America | Pew Research Center | 22 July 2019
- Only One-Third Of Canadians Believe Most People Can Be Trusted | Ipsos | 24 March 2022
- Constructive Skepticism, Dysfunctional Cynicism? Skepticism and Cynicism Differently Determine Generalized Media Trust | International Journal of Communication | 2021
- Media Cynicism, Media Skepticism and Automatic Media Trust: Explicating Their Connection with News Processing and Exposure | Communication Research | 25 March 2025
- Skepticism, cynicism, and cognitive style predictors of the generality of unsubstantiated belief | Applied Cognitive Psychology | 19 November 2021
- How Skepticism (not Cynicism) Can Raise Scientific Standards and Reform the Health and Wellness Industry | Human Kinetics Journals | 2023
- Confidence in institutions and the media, 2023 | Statistics Canada | February 13 2024
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Do you believe everything you see online or nothing at all? – Cynicism makes you dismiss information without evaluating it. – Naivety makes you believe everything. The solution: informed skepticism 💡 More info and resources here 👇 scienceupfirst.com/misinformati… #ScienceUpFirst
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) July 16, 2025 at 1:15 PM
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Psychological booster shots targeting memory increase long-term resistance against misinformation
Misinformation inoculation interventions in the form of text and video can be effective but their influence diminishes after approximately 30 days. Motivating memory models should incorporate developments in cognitive science to increase the durability, and ultimately impact, of misinformation countering interventions.
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Your mom just shared some false information on Facebook. What do you do?
You’re browsing social media absentmindedly (is there any other way?) and you notice your mom sharing what you believe is obvious misinformation. Maybe it’s an AI-generated video; maybe it’s a long debunked myth about vaccines; maybe it’s long-withheld information about Bigfoot.
You also know that you will be seeing your mom tomorrow for dinner and it will inevitably come up.
Is it worth addressing? Is it likely to sour your dinner with her? Is there a risk of spreading harmful misinformation? These are all relevant questions that many of us have to deal with. Some ways of dealing with these situations are more productive than others (13).
And you? How have you reacted to similar situations?
Sources- Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media: Principles and Attributes | National Academy of Medicine Perspectives | July 16, 2021
- Active Listening | StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf | September 13, 2023
- The Role of “Active Listening” in Informal Helping Conversations: Impact on Perceptions of Listener Helpfulness, Sensitivity, and Supportiveness and Discloser Emotional Improvement | Western Journal of Communication | January 3, 2015
- Conversational receptiveness: Improving engagement with opposing views | Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes | September 2020
- The language of cooperation: shared intentionality drives variation in helping as a function of group membership | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | September 20, 2017
- A Shared Intentionality Account of Uniquely Human Social Bonding | Perspectives on Psychological Science | October 26, 2023
- Hierarchy of Evidence – Evidence-Based Practice in Health – UC Library Guides at University of Canberra | June 17, 2025
- How can we use the ‘science of stories’ to produce persuasive scientific stories? | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications | December 22, 2017
- Narrative Persuasion and Storytelling as Climate Communication Strategies | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science | August 22, 2017
- Family Communication Patterns and Difficult Family Conversations | Journal of Applied Communications Research | April 2, 2013
- How to Control Your Emotions During a Difficult Conversation | Harvard Business Review | December 1, 2017
- How to Stabilize Emotions in Difficult Conversations | Psychology Today Canada | November 1, 2022
- Our tips for conversations on polarizing topics | ScienceUpFirst | February 23, 2024
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@bsky.appYou're scrolling and… your mom shared a questionable video. Tomorrow, family dinner, what do you do? – Is it worth responding? – Will it ruin dinner? – Is it harmful to say nothing? We've all been there, but which way is best? scienceupfirst.com/misinformati… #ScienceUpFirst
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) July 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM
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Identifying Misinformation About Unproven Cancer Treatments on Social Media Using User-Friendly Linguistic Characteristics: Content Analysis
New methods exist for identifying cancer misinformation online by building misinformation-detecting algorithms that can identify core linguistic characteristics. These characteristics can include for example, certain hashtags, expressions using absolutes, and specific URLS. Combined with manual labeling, these algorithms can help aid detection efforts.