Information, Misinformation + Citizenship

Question 1

What is Carpini and Keeter’s definition of political knowledge? (1996)

Answer 1

‘The range of factual information about politics that is stored in long-term memory’

Question 2

contested…why?

Answer 2

normally measured by a series of questions- many have used survey based-responses to make knowledge claims

(Lupia 2006) wrong to conclude broad generalisations about competence from small-set

Question 3

Ability-Opportunity-Motivation framework

Answer 3

A: adequate skills
O: availability of information
M: motivation to learn

Question 4

Temporal vs Topical

Answer 4

Temporal = how recent the fact came into being (static/general knowledge)

Topical = topic (policy/government)

Question 5

Facts as currency (Carpini & Keeter 1996)

Answer 5

Citizens must have ready access to factual information that facilitates the evaluation of public policies - using these to then inform preferences

Question 6

Obstacles?

Answer 6

individual-level motivation = subjective experiences of the world

Question 7

complete updating

Answer 7

reality - beliefs - interpretation - opinions

Question 8

fact avoidence

Answer 8

reality II beliefs - interpretations - opinions

Question 9

meaning avoidence

Answer 9

reality - beliefs II interpretations - opinions

Question 10

opinion disconnect

Answer 10

reality - beliefs - interpretations II opinions

Question 11

2 dimensional conception of knowledge

Answer 11

Accuracy = amount of factually correct info about politics that is stored in long term memory

Confidence = an individuals perception about their memory

Question 12

3 mental processes behind misinformation

Answer 12

1. drawing of social interferences
2. strong drive towards belief/attitude consistency
3. tendency of overconfidence

Question 13

Partheymüller, Kritzinger & Plescia 2022

Answer 13

RQ: what is the role of accuracy and confidence in knowledge of the EU on preferences to leave or remain (hypothetical situation)

• low accuracy + high confidence = leave
• accuracy regardless + low confidence = undecided
• high accuracy + confidence = stay

Question 14

Nyhan & Reifler 2010

Answer 14

Can we correct misperceptions?

Ideological interaction: effect of correction moderated by ideology

Resistance: corrections fail to reduce misperception amongst ideological subgroup

Backfire: can entrench misperceptions