The Psychology of Misinformation

Roozenbeek and van der Linden are two of the most cited researchers in the misinformation field, and this book represents the most accessible and comprehensive synthesis of the psychological literature on why people believe false information and what interventions actually work to reduce belief and spread. The book moves through three parts: the history and nature of misinformation, the psychological mechanisms that make people susceptible, and the evidence base for counter-interventions — with prebunking (inoculation theory) receiving sustained treatment.

The psychological level of analysis complements, and in some ways challenges, the structural and platform-level accounts that dominate policy discussion. Roozenbeek and van der Linden demonstrate that vulnerability to misinformation is not primarily a function of political identity or education level but of cognitive shortcuts that are universal. This matters for resilience design: interventions that assume audiences need more information or better values will fail; interventions that address the actual psychological mechanisms of susceptibility have measurable effects. For practitioners designing public awareness or resilience campaigns, this is the essential evidence base.