Psychonomic Society and SJDM Conferences Highlight SMIDGE Research on Fake News and Reasoning Skills

SMIDGE project findings were recently showcased at two highly regarded international conferences, thanks to the insightful presentations of Professor Kalypso Iordanou from UCLan Cyprus. Prof. Iordanou, an expert in cognitive and metacognitive processes, delivered two talks based on SMIDGE research during the following events:

• The Psychonomic Society’s 65th Annual Meeting (November 21–24).

• The Society of Judgment and Decision Making (SJDM) Annual Conference (November 22–25).

At the SJDM conference, Prof. Iordanou presented “Examining How Prior Knowledge and Reasoning Skills Relate to Susceptibility to Misinformation and Critical Evaluation.” This session offered insights into how individuals' reasoning skills and prior knowledge influence their ability to discern misinformation.

At the Psychonomic Society’s annual meeting, she presented on “Misinformation on Social Media: Examining Middle-Aged Individuals’ Reasoning Skills and Engagement with Misinformation Online.” More details about the event can be found here.

The presentations were based on a study investigating predictors of conspiratorial thinking and fake news discernment among 635 middle-aged adults (aged 45–65), recruited through Prolific. The findings revealed the following:

• Core Predictors: Argumentative reasoning skills, epistemic thinking, values, and personality traits were identified as key factors influencing conspiratorial thinking.

• Significant Role of Reasoning: Argumentative reasoning skills emerged as the strongest predictor of both conspiratorial thinking and the ability to discern fake news.

• Practical Implications: The research highlights critical areas for designing interventions aimed at combating misinformation and improving fake news discernment.

Prof. Iordanou and her team at UCLan Cyprus lead the psychological analysis for WP5 of the SMIDGE project. Their work focuses on understanding the tools and techniques that draw middle-aged individuals toward or away from extremist narratives and conspiracy theories. Through online surveys, the team explores the factors shaping attitudes and experiences with extremist media, contributing valuable insights for tackling online radicalization and disinformation.