10
How Susceptible Are You to Misinformation? There’s a Test You Can Take
(www.scientificamerican.com)
this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2023
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It sounds interesting but I don't think you can discern anything from a headline in isolation, without knowing the source and its biases and the context. I tried taking the test but gave up because short of actually knowing the topic each one would be a 50-50 guess.
Actually, I don’t think you’re supposed to be judging it on the topic. I considered each in terms of whether or not I thought the title would get a rise out of a particular target demographic (whether that rise was positive or negative) and I got 20/20.
Agreed, I think gauging whether you're being affected by the substance of an article or being affected by the language used is crucial. Like the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide , there's a lot of ways to tell the truth while manipulating to dishonest ends. Going further, you can speak to someone's personal biases and don't even have to bother with bending the truth.