The misinformation recognition and response model: an emerging theoretical framework for investigating antecedents to and consequences of misinformation recognition

Abstract

Abstract Although research on misinformation and corrections has recently proliferated, no systematic structure has guided the examination of conditions under which misinformation is most likely to be recognized and the potential ensuing effects of recognition. The Misinformation Recognition and Response Model (MRRM) provides a framework for investigating the antecedents to and consequences of misinformation recognition. The model theorizes that how people cope with exposure to misinformation and/or intervention messages is conditioned by both dispositional and situational individual characteristics and is part of a process mediated by informational problem identification, issue motivation, and—crucially—recognition of misinformation. Whether or not recognition is activated then triggers differential cognitive coping strategies which ultimately affect consequent cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes. Working to explore the notion of misinformation will be more fruitful if researchers take into consideration how various perspectives fit together and form a larger picture. The MRRM offers guidance on a multi-disciplinary understanding of recognizing and responding to misinformation.