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strategyscience.bsky.social
Strategy Science
@strategyscience.bsky.social
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Science of gray zone / hybrid warfare, intelligence, cyber security, war strategy, extremism, social sciences, & law to combat radicalization

#natsec #infosec #cybersecurity #science 🧪 #NatSecSky
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Strategy Science @strategyscience.bsky.social · Feb 12
The Radicalization Process

The process of radicalization leading to violence follows a nonlinear, non-predetermined path, shaped by multiple factors—personal and collective, social and psychological thru complex social change operating on several different levels.

info-radical.org/en/the-radic...
Graphic: Process of Radicalization Leading to Violence Section 1 1. Early Prevention 2. Primary Prevention 3. Secondary Prevention 4. Tertiary Prevention *Post-Social Orientation **Socio-communitarisn involvement **Socio-Political Engagement *Participation in public debate **Rejection of violence *Indoctrination Process Ideology *Radical / Violent Orientation **Social and family rupture **Legitimization of the use of violence **Concealment of a lifestyle or an allegiance **Association with violent radical individuals **Examining extremist documents or websites **Dehumanizing others and loss of moral reference **Obsession with messianic and end-of-the-world discourse **Sudden loss of interest in school / and professional activities *Post-social Engagement **Hope vis-à-vis the Promise of Togetherness *Types of Engagement **Level of Engagement ***Self-sacrifice ***Participation ***Active support *Violent Acts (Committed or Encouraged) *Justifying Engagement **NEEDS ***Sense of belonging ***Identity affirmation ***Self-esteem / Pride ***Recognition **MOTIVES ***Altruism / Solidarity ***Heroism ***Rebellion / Revenge ***Thrill Seeking Some Vulnerability Factors 1. Relational *Family disaffiliation *Network of contacts in radical circles *Distancing from circle of friends 2. Personal *Troubled adolescence or difficult transition to adulthood *Difficult life events (death of a loved one, job loss, etc.) *Existential or spiritual crisis (pre- or post-conversion) 3. Social Identity *Other or self-imposed social isolation *Identity malaise *Sense of being stigmatized or discriminated due to one's beliefs or origin 4. Psychological *Psychological frailty or disorders *Psychological rigidity *Episodes of Psychological distress 5. External *Polarized and polarizing society debates *Government positioning on poorly understood national and international issues *Highly sensationalized public and media discourse *Extremist discourse and propaganda that is readily accessible Some Protective Factors 1. Relational *Belonging to a non-violent social network (physical or virtual) *Quality relationship with a positive role model *Stable relational environment *Strong family connection 2. Personal *Stable family situation *Support and guidance during difficult life events *Positive educational and career prospects 3. Social Identity *Stable Identity *Sense of social integration and community acceptance *Strong social bonds 4. Psychological *Critical thinking and cognitive moderation *Emotional and mental resilience against attempted indoctrination *Empathy and openness to others *Emotional self-regulation 5. External *Presence of counter-extremist discourse in general society *Open societal debates advocating tolerance, respect, and integration *Reinforcement of the principles of shared community *Collective resilience against hateful ideologies and hate speech
Reposted by Strategy Science
filipvanevski.bsky.social
This is the problem with influencers pushing the narrative that specialists (govt, science, etc) don't actually know more than anybody else, and just use their titles and elite status to grift. In that warped reality, facts are the provenance of opinion, and deciding for yourself is a virtue. Chaos.
February 18, 2025 at 1:22 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Job discrimination faced by ethnic minorities convinces public about racism (2022)

Study finds the best way to convince the public that racism is a real problem and requires major change: tell them about a study exposing discrimination faced by job applicants.

www.theguardian.com/money/2022/d...
Researchers believe they may have found the best way to convince the public that racism is a real problem and requires major change: tell them about an Oxford University study exposing discrimination faced by job applicants. A groundbreaking project exploring how better to boost public support for action against systemic racism tested which messages best move people towards a more anti-racist position. Reframing Race, a charity, tested dozens of arguments on almost 20,000 people and found highlighting research from 2019 showing ethnic minority applicants received less positive responses to job applications than white people, was the “blockbuster” in terms of making people more likely to agree that all races and ethnic groups are equally as capable as one other. By contrast using well-trodden language about people “suffering” from “inequality” was less likely to convince people of the systemic problem and even sometimes backfired. The need for better arguments was made clear by a survey for the study covering England and Scotland, which revealed widespread racist attitudes with 40% of people believing that “some races or ethnic groups are naturally harder working than others” and one in five think some races are more intelligent than others. The research also showed it remained easier to get audiences to accept racism as a real and pressing problem than to get them to support particular solutions. “If we want to end racism and entrench anti-racism it is critical to build public demand for deep and irreversible progress,” said Sanjiv Lingayah, report author and director of Reframing Race. “[This] shows there is still a way to go. The data shows significant attachment to deep-seated and debunked myths about ‘race’. More positively, the findings show that the public can understand systemic racism and that they can be rallied around far-reaching anti-racist solutions.” The researchers found the message with the most potential was when people in England were told Oxford University researchers had applied for more than 3,000 jobs in the names of fictitious applicants, randomly varying the ethnicity, but keeping the skills, qualifications and work experience the same. White British applicants had to make four applications to get a positive response while ethnic minority applicants had to make seven. “It is an almost watertight piece of evidence about the existence of racism in hiring,” the authors said. “The experiment ‘catches racism red-handed’. Naming Oxford University gives the results further credibility. And, additionally, the way that the fake CV ‘sting’ is outlined gives the message the feel of a compelling story – with plot, characters and a powerful ending.” Other effective messages involved telling people about far worse maternal mortality rates for black women than faced by white women and even using a metaphor to describe racism as a birdcage which traps people all boosted public acceptance of racism as a problem.
February 18, 2025 at 12:57 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
White people more likely to confront authors of racist online posts to set discussion rules (2024)

White people surveyed indicated they'd be more likely to confront those posting racist content to defend norms for political discussion, not change their prejudices.

news.illinois.edu/white-people...
“Overall, we found that reframing the confrontation goal from changing someone’s mind to setting social norms increased participants’ willingness to challenge these types of posts,” Coles said. “Participants also indicated greater willingness to confront someone they were closer to rather than someone who was relationally distant, such as a stranger or acquaintance.” Norm-setting changes the nature of the social media environment, eroding the social power that allows users to disseminate racist ideology, the researchers said. It also was an appealing strategy for two groups of people in the study – those who were the most cynical about the value of discussing political issues such as race and those with the greatest reluctance to challenge offensive content posted by relationally distant users such as strangers and acquaintances, the researchers found. Some research has shown that challenging hate speech and racist stereotypes posted online reduces the odds that offenders will repeat it. However, the hostility and entrenched viewpoints that permeate online communities, as well as widespread cynicism about politics in general and the likelihood of changing others’ beliefs about race through online discourse may discourage users from objecting to racist content, according to the study. "However, if the objective is reframed from trying to change a transgressor’s deep-seated attitudes to a potentially more achievable goal – that of defining the social norms for political discussions – participants’ willingness to confront others about racist content increases,” Coles said. With fiery comments about societal problems such as immigration, antisemitism and police officers’ treatment of minorities commonplace on social media, there is a critical need for interventions that empower people to challenge online hate speech because it is intricately tied with perpetuating structural racism and acts of racial violence, Coles said. “Framing the confrontation goal as norm-setting may spur white social media users to step up rather than stand by,” he said. “This may change the social power dynamics online, instead of trying to convince racist users to behave better out of the goodness of their own hearts.”
February 18, 2025 at 12:48 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Why Some People Turn Into Political Extremists

Understanding emotional and societal factors behind misinformation spread is key. The issue means debunking false information but also involves addressing extremists’ need for social belonging and affirmation.

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/soci...
Why Some People Turn Into Political Extremists
In the post-truth age, we will believe anything as long as it echoes us.
www.psychologytoday.com
February 18, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Strategy Science
donmoyn.bsky.social
One of the things you are seeing right now is federal employees afraid to go on the record, plus inspectors generals are fired. Qualified and credible voices who know the inner workings of govt are afraid to rebut DOGE's bullshit.

This is a real and incredibly consequential chilling effect!
February 17, 2025 at 6:20 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
How empathic we are is not just our experiences experience but also our genes

- How empathetic we are is partly due to genetics (10%)

- Women are on average more empathetic than men, but not due to genetics

- These variants also associate with higher risk for autism

www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...
The new study has three important results. First, it found that how empathetic we are is partly due to genetics. Indeed, a tenth of this variation is due to genetic factors. This confirms previous research examining empathy in identical versus non-identical twins. Second, the new study confirmed that women are on average more empathetic than men. However, this difference is not due to our DNA as there were no differences in the genes that contribute to empathy in men and women. This implies that the sex difference in empathy is the result of other non-genetic biological factors, such as prenatal hormone influences, or non-biological factors such as socialisation, both of which also differ between the sexes. Finally, the new study found that genetic variants associated with lower empathy are also associated with higher risk for autism.
February 17, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Strategy Science
muellershewrote.com
From an FDA probationary employee: the firings are coming from outside the agency without cause and with zero input from supervisors (as promised.) More firings expected between now and Tuesday. Do not open the termination email before you download your documents and performance evals.
February 16, 2025 at 5:42 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Why Russia Won’t Catch Up in the Space Race (2014)

The U.S. and Russia were once the Castor and Pollux of space travel, but now - for Russia - not so much.

Russia is grimly trying to claw its way back—and the grimness is a problem.

time.com/2937697/russ...
And so it will probably go with Russia in space. The original space race was no less political than anything Russia is doing today, but both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were operating from positions of strength, projecting their competing power over a sprawling region of client states and taking the duel to the cosmic high ground. Russia today—with Putin calling the shots on when a booster should be launched and the government issuing petulant threats to quit flying American astronauts to the International Space Station—is acting neither strong nor confident. It is, instead, joining the long list of states that have dreamed of space but sought to power themselves more with rage than rocket fuel. And consider how far they’ve gotten. North Korea? Pathetic. Iran? Please. China? They’re doing great things now, but that only started when they climbed down from their revolutionary zeal and started focusing on the engineering and physics instead of the ideology and slogans. And Russia? Not so much. The collapse of communism, the loss of Kazakhstan—which put the Baikonaur Cosmodrome, Russia’s Cape Canaveral, in an entirely different country—and hard economic times made space an unaffordable luxury. But now Russia is grimly trying to claw its way back—and the grimness is a problem.
February 16, 2025 at 5:58 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Putin and Trump could be on the same side in this troubling new world order (2016)

Dugin: We must create strategic alliances to overthrow the present order, everything that is the face of the Beast, the anti-Christ.

www.theguardian.com/world/commen...
Putin and Trump could be on the same side in this troubling new world order The hacking crisis may be distracting. Us from a disturbing convergence between 2 mighty powers. Mon. 19 December 2016 01.00 EST [Graphi] Graffiti depicting Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump: 'Alexander Dugan was one of the first public figures in Russia to spot that Trump was a potential ally photograph.' Mindaugas Kubis/AP. My point is that the battle of ideas matters even when those in power pour scorn upon it, or claim themselves to be no more than practitioners of “common sense”. Discourse analysis teaches us that ideas are the magmatic force of public life, rumbling beneath the feet of the mighty, shaping their actions and the popular response. As Isaiah Berlin put it, ideas “are indeed the central complex of relations of a man towards himself and to the external world”. In Dugin’s case, the “central complex” is a mess of imperialism, bigotry, reactionary religiosity and a loathing of social diversity. To confuse matters further, he has borrowed from postmodernism the idea that “truth is a matter of belief … there is no such thing as facts”. In the year of “post-truth politics”, this contention resonates all too deeply. Worse, Dugin’s ideas help to explain why the present tensions between the US and Russia may be distracting us from a potential convergence between the two mighty powers – and not the good kind, either. This is Dugin’s world. In it, Trump and Putin, for all their differences, would be on the same side. The core lesson of 2016 is that there is nothing inevitable in the march of progress. But it is equally true that the ultra right has no providential monopoly on success. Vile as they are, Dugin’s ideas constitute a half-mad manual to what is happening today, and may happen tomorrow. It should be read with care by all those who are planning the counterattack.
February 16, 2025 at 5:49 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
The End of Term Web Archive

The End of Term Web Archive contains federal government websites (.gov, .mil, etc) in the Legislative, Executive, or Judicial branches of the government.

Local government websites, or any site not part of the federal government domain are out of scope.

eotarchive.org
The White House
President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance are committed to lowering costs for all Americans, securing our borders, unleashing American energy dominance, restoring peace through strength, a...
whitehouse.gov
February 16, 2025 at 4:30 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
FUN FACT: when you try to go to the OMB website to see their data from this USA Gov link (www.usa.gov/agencies/off...), it now redirects you to this instead (www.whitehouse.gov).
February 16, 2025 at 4:02 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
FUN FACT: did you know there used to be a video game that was essentially The Sims, but for explaining Clinton's health plan to the common person?

It was called SimHealth: The National Health Care Simulation.

It was ended because it wasn't terribly fun.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimHealth
[Screenshot of video game] SimHealth: The National Health Care Simulation
February 16, 2025 at 3:21 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Psychology of Terrorism (2004)

In an ongoing effort to better understand the causes, motivations & determinants of terrorist behavior through a comprehensive review of scientific and professional literature, it analyzes key findings on the “psychology of terrorism.”

www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/ni...
Psychology of Terrorism Randy Borum Director, Psychology of Terrorism Initiative As part of the ongoing effort to better understand the causes, motivations and determinants of terrorist behavior, based on a comprehensive review of the scientific and professional literature, this report analyzes key findings on the “psychology of terrorism.” • Although early writings on the “psychology of terrorism” were based mostly in psychoanalytic theory (e.g., narcissism, hostility toward parents), most researchers have since moved on to other approaches. • People become terrorists in different ways, in different roles, & for different reasons. It may be helpful to distinguish between reasons for joining, remaining in, & leaving terrorist organizations. • Perceived injustice, need for identity & need for belonging are common vulnerabilities among potential terrorists. • Mental illness is not a critical factor in explaining terrorist behavior. Also, most terrorists are not “psychopaths.” • There is no “terrorist personality”, nor is there any accurate profile – psychologically or otherwise – of the terrorist. • Histories of childhood abuse & trauma & themes of perceived injustice and humiliation often are prominent in terrorist biographies, but don't really help explain terrorism. • Terrorist ideologies tend to provide a set of beliefs that justify & mandate certain behaviors. Those beliefs are regarded as absolute, & the behaviors are seen as serving a meaningful cause. • Not all extremist ideologies promote violence, nor are all extremists violent. One might ask whether the ideology is driven more by promotion of the “cause” or destruction of those who oppose it. • The powerful, naturally-occurring barriers that inhibit human killing can be eroded either through outside social/environmental influences or by changing how one perceives the situation. • Terrorist groups, like all social collectives, have certain internal (e.g., mistrust, competition) & external (e.g. support, inter-group conflict) vulnerabilities to their existence. • Surprisingly little research or analysis has been conducted on terrorist recruitment. Recruitment efforts do appear concentrated in areas where people feel most deprived and dissatisfied. Relationships are critical. Effective recruiters create and exploit a sense of urgency and imminence. • Effective leaders of terrorist organizations must be able to: maintain a collective belief system; establish and maintain organizational routines; control the flow of communication; manipulate incentives (and purposive goals) for followers; deflect conflict to external targets; and keep action going. • Research on the psychology of terrorism largely lacks substance and rigor. Cultural factors are important, but have not been studied. Future research should be operationally-informed; maintain a behavior based focus; and derive interpretations from analyses of incident-related behaviors. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Aims & methodology 6 Psychological approaches to understanding violence 9 *Instinct Theories *Drive Theories (Frustration – Aggression) *Social Learning Theory *Cognitive Theory *Biological Factors *Raw Empirical Approaches First generation psychological research on terrorism 18 *Psychoanalytic Theory *Narcissism *Early Typologies Contemporary psychological research on terrorism 22 *How and why do people enter, stay in, and leave terrorist organizations? *To what extent is psychopathology relevant for understanding or preventing terrorism? *To what extent is individual personality relevant for understanding or preventing terrorism? *To what extent are an individual’s life experiences relevant for understanding or preventing terrorism? *What is the role of ideology in terrorist behavior? *What distinguishes extremists who act violently from those who do not? *What are the vulnerabilities of terrorist groups? *How do terrorist organizations form, function, and fail? Conclusions on the state of research 64 References 64
February 16, 2025 at 3:14 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
February 16, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Strategy Science
dariusaudubon.bsky.social
Actually, ranking member Rep Takano of House Veterans committee are asking people fired from VA for their stories.
Here is the website

forms.office.com/pages/respon...
February 16, 2025 at 1:58 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
This link bypasses the exclusive piece of "See inside DOGE’s playbook for eliminating DEI".

@washingtonpost.com should be ashamed of paywalling this right now.
February 16, 2025 at 1:53 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Sex & the Psychology of Authoritarian Ideologies

Despite socio-cultural and religious differences, racially and religiously supported totalitarian ideologies are built on similarities in societies, namely, patriarchy and sexual repression.

health21initiative.org/article/sex-...
Sex-negation in children, therefore, inhibits “rebellious forces” because disobedience translates into anxiety (Reich 1947, 25). This, accordingly, extends to other domains of social life. Reich claims that by preventing “sexual curiosity” and “sexual thinking” in a child, a general fear toward political criticality and curiosity develops. Character-analytic investigations show that, especially during the first years of childhood, imposing restrictions on sexual behaviour are consequential because the intertwining of “the socio-economic and the sexual structure as well as in the structural reproduction of society” takes place in this time frame in the patriarchal family (Reich 1947, 24). At the cost of generalization, it can be argued that fascism is the answer to patriarchal longing. Reich clarifies the support for totalitarian systems in sex-negating patriarchies arguing that, instead of one being a clearly articulated policy of the other, their relationship is threefold: Suppression of sex creates a structure with an interest in “actively supporting the authoritarian order;” “The process makes the mass individual passive and unpolitical” (Reich 1947, 27, 26); As Reich already presumed in 1933, repression of “natural sexual satisfaction” results in different kinds of “substitute gratifications” – traits essential in war, such as “natural aggression” and “brutal sadism” (1947, 27). It is, therefore, in the totalitarian system’s interest to protect itself through discourses and narratives spread in media and religion to avoid rebellion and population uprisings. The family is the “factory” of ideology for society, a function continued by religious institutions (Reich 1947, 51), which will be addressed in the following section. Sexual suppression is that of producing an individual who is adjusted to the authoritarian order and who will submit to it in spite of all misery and degradation (Reich 1947, 25). Patriarchies with their intrinsic suppression of sexuality in children and women are a criterion for totalitarian ideologies to gain hold and to thrive. Repression of sexuality creates an unsatisfied human need that can shift into aggression and other radical substitution gratifications. Mysticism that upholds the impurity of sex through the patriarchal family, and later religious institutions, can also equate to an embarrassment associated with rebellion. This is comparable to the one felt when engaging in sexual pleasure despite the societal narrative and discourse condemning it.
February 16, 2025 at 1:47 AM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Striving For Transparency In National Security

A compilation from various blogs that the delicate balance of transparency and protecting national security.

**Link can be a bit buggy on mobile devices, but great summary & graphics.**

fastercapital.com/topics/striv...
Striving for Transparency in National Security [Infographic] 1. The issue of transparency in national security is one that has sparked intense debate and controversy in recent years. 2. While it is understandable that certain aspects of national security need to be kept classified, it is crucial for governments to be transparent about their actions and decisions in order to maintain public trust. 3. One example of the importance of transparency in national security can be seen in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. 4. Tips for achieving transparency in national security include establishing independent oversight mechanisms such as parliamentary committees. Or umbudsman to ensure the government actions are subject to scrutiny. 5. Case studies from various countries can also provide valuable insights into the challenges and benefits striving for transparency in national security. 6. On the other hand, countries like China and Russia have been criticized for their lack transparency in national security. 7. In conclusion, while achieving complete transparency and national security may not be feasible or desirable. Government must make a concerted certain effort to be as transparent as possible without compromising their ability to protect the nation. Balancing Transparency in National Security [Infographic] 1. In the modern era of journalism, the delicate balance between transparency and national security has become an ethical dilemma that journalists often grapple with. 2. Redacted information, also known as blackout, refers to the removal of obscuring of sensitive or classified information from documents or reports. 3. One notable example of redacted information in journalism is the release of the Mueller Report in 2019. 4. Tips for journalists navigating the ethical dilemma of balancing transparency and national security include seeking alternative sources of information, conducting thorough investigations, and challenging redactions through legal means. 5. Case studies have shown the potential consequences of redacted information and journalism. 6. The impact of reducted information goes beyond the immediate limitations on public knowledge. 7. Ultimately, the ethical dilemma of balancing transparency and national security requires careful consideration and critical thinking from journalists. Redacted Content and National Security [Infographic] 1. The Legal Perspective 2. Balancing Act 3. Exemptions and Justifications 4. Judicial Review and Transparency 5. The Snowden Effect 6. Ethical Considerations 7. The Future of Redacted Content The Role of Coterminous Borders in National Security 1. Preventing illegal immigration 2. Stopping the flow of illegal drugs 3. Preventing the spread of diseases 4. Reducing tensions between neighboring countries 5. Enhancing trade and economic growth.
February 15, 2025 at 11:18 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Are you aware that there is a large gender gap in the tech space?

What implications could this have on coders deciding what programs or initiatives are fraud or DEI?

A Look at Gender Demographics in the Developer Community, Part 2 (2023)

dev.to/sachagreif/a...
Using the U.S. as a baseline, while some stats point to 28.7% of software programmers being women, according to Wikipedia, “fewer than 12% of computer science bachelor's degrees were awarded to women at U.S. PhD-granting institutions in 2011.” First, the status quo of the developer community is very male-oriented, not only in terms of demographics but also in terms of vocabulary, branding, and more. Changing that will take some deliberate action in the opposite direction, not just staying neutral. Second, few people are actually tracking these issues in a transparent and reliable manner, and it's hard to improve what you don't track. We shouldn't be happy to merely adopt the language of inclusivity if we're not also keeping ourselves accountable to see if our efforts are effective or not. Third, an effective way to diversify your audience is to make more beginner-friendly content, as that segment of the population is the most diverse one. Fourth, even with the best intentions, it's really hard to break out of your own bubble. We naturally tend to attract an audience who looks, talks, and thinks like us, which is why it's so important to involve people who aren't like us every step of the way to counteract this natural tendency.
February 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
One way scientists can help right now.
February 15, 2025 at 8:26 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Digital Disinformation About COVID-19 and the Third-Person Effect: Examining the Channel Differences and Negative Emotional Outcomes

Links exposure to disinformation in different digital channels, TPEs, & emotional outcomes in context of a public health crisis.

www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...
Abstract Expanding third-person effect (TPE) research to digital disinformation, this article investigates the impact of COVID-19 digital fake news exposure on individuals' perceived susceptibility of influence on themselves, their close others, and their distant others. Findings from a survey of 511 Chinese respondents suggest that, overall, individuals would perceive themselves to be less vulnerable than close others and distant others to the impact of COVID-19 digital disinformation. The highest self-other perceptual discrepancy is found when individuals receive disinformation on mobile social networking apps. Also, individuals who practice more active fact-checking perceive themselves to be less susceptible. The perception of disinformation effects on self as well as the self-other perceptual discrepancy is both positively related to emotional responses (anxiety, fear, and worry) to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to existing research by linking exposure to disinformation in different digital channels, the TPEs, and emotional outcomes in the context of a public health crisis. It also highlights the importance of educating and enabling fact-checking behaviors on digital media, which could help to reduce negative emotional impact of the disinformation. Results Results in Table 1 showed that the perceptual gaps between one's self and distant others (t = 29.46, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.84) and between one's self and close others (t = 15.95, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.99) were significant, supporting H1. Besides, the perceptual gap between close others and distance others was also significant (p < 0.001), and Cohen's d = 0.75, supporting H2. Table 1. Mean Comparisons of Perceived Effects of Fake News About COVID-19 on Self and Others Self Close others Distant others Mean (SD) 1.85 (0.84) 2.79 (1.04) 3.56 (1.01) Mean difference  Self vs. close others*** t = 15.95, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.99  Self vs. distant others*** t = 29.46, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.84  Close others vs. distance others*** t = 11.99, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.75 Note: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. SD, standard deviation. As for H3, results in Table 2 showed that fake news exposure on MSNs was positively associated with self-other perceptual discrepancy (β = 0.26, p < 0.001), and the perceptions of disinformation effect on close others (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) and distant others (β = 0.30, p < 0.001). Fake news exposure on social media was positively related to the perceptions of disinformation effects on close others (β = 0.18, p < 0.01). Besides, fake news exposure on SLSSs was positively associated with the perceptions of disinformation effects on self (β = 0.18, p < 0.01), close others (β = 0.10, p < 0.05), and distant others (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). No significant relationship between fake news exposure on online news media and TPE perceptions has been found. Table 2. Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Perceived Influence of Fake News About COVID-19 on Self and Others Regarding H4, as depicted in Table 2, active fact checking behaviors were negatively associated with perceptions of disinformation effects on self (β = −0.19, p < 0.001) and close others (β = −0.11, p < 0.05). Passive fact evaluation behaviors were positively related to perceptions of disinformation effects on self (β = 0.10, p < 0.05). H4 was partially supported. Besides, Table 3 showed that the TPE was negatively associated with the emotions (anxiety: β = −0.13, p < 0.01; fear: β = −0.18, p < 0.001; worry: β = −0.13, p < 0.05), supporting H5. Table 3. Hierarchical Regression Models of Emotions Anxiety Fear Worry Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4 Model 5 Model 6 Sociodemographics  Age −0.18*** −0.20*** −0.05 −0.05 −0.06 −0.10*  Gender −0.04 −0.08 −0.20*** −0.22*** −0.12** −0.17***  Education 0.20*** 0.20*** 0.17** 0.18** 0.08 0.07  Income 0.01 0.05 0.01 0.03 0.10* 0.14**  Residence 0.07 0.04 0.18*** 0.16*** 0.13** 0.08  Insurance 0.11* 0.13* 0.07 0.11* 0.05 0.07  ΔR2 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.06 0.06 Perceived exposure to fake news  MSNs −0.25*** −0.15** −0.17** −0.09* −0.27*** −0.17**  Social media 0.19*** 0.23*** 0.17** 0.22*** 0.10* 0.13*  Online news media 0.16** 0.16** 0.14** 0.13* 0.13* 0.14*  SLSSs 0.01 0.05 0.15** 0.20*** 0.14** 0.21***  ΔR2 0.09 0.09 0.14 0.14 0.11 0.11 Fact checking  Active fact checking −0.06 −0.11* −0.01 −0.06 −0.06 −0.12*  Passive fact evaluation 0.07 0.09* 0.12** 0.14** 0.09* 0.10*  ΔR2 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.02 Third-person variables  Self 0.28*** 0.30*** 0.17***  Close others 0.14** 0.17** 0.16**  Distant others 0.01 −0.11* 0.09  Self-other perceptual discrepancy −0.13** −0.18*** −0.13*  ΔR2 0.11 0.01 0.11 0.02 0.10 0.03  R2 0.32 0.23 0.37 0.28 0.28 0.22  Adjusted R2 0.30 0.20 0.35 0.26 0.25 0.20  F 15.41*** 11.03*** 14.36*** 15.01*** 12.56*** 8.29***  N 511 511 511 511 511 511 Note: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.
February 15, 2025 at 8:12 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
COVID-19 disinformation and political engagement among communities of color: The role of media literacy (2021)

General and science-specific media literacy skills can be protective and empowering for communities of color.

misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/covi...
Research Questions Will there be a difference in the media literacy and political belief scores between nonwhite and white respondents? Will there be a difference in the COVID-19 knowledge and COVID-19 disinformation belief scores between nonwhite and white respondents? To what extent will the ways media literacy associates with political behavior beliefs, COVID-19 knowledge, and COVID-19 disinformation beliefs differ for nonwhite respondents as compared to associations for white respondents? Essay Summary Communities of color, disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and equity gaps, also are inordinately targeted by disinformation campaigns. This study explored how media literacy might help protect individuals, particularly people of color, from believing COVID-19 disinformation and how it might promote political engagement. Results are drawn from a representative, national survey of U.S. adult residents (N=1264) fielded June 22-July 18, 2020, with demographic and regional quotas based on the 2019 U.S. census. Compared to white respondents, nonwhite respondents reported less media literacy, less intent to vote, more willingness to take risks to protest for racial justice (but not to reopen the economy), less COVID-19 knowledge, and more acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. Respondents with more media literacy about news sources tended to support taking risks to protest, and those more literate about news sources and content had greater intentions to vote, but those with more science media literacy tended to express less support for taking risks to protest. Respondents with more science media literacy focused on critical thinking to interpret and integrate messages about scientific studies were less likely to believe COVID-19 disinformation. The results suggest that general and science-specific media literacy skills can be protective and empowering for communities of color.
February 15, 2025 at 7:50 PM
strategyscience.bsky.social
Does Third-Party Fact- Checking Increase Trust in News Stories? An Australian Case Study Using the “Sports Rorts” Affair

A Cautionary Tail on Fact-checking: Independent fact-checking decreased readers’ trust in the original news story and outlet.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Figure 2 of 3 Figure 2. Trust in the fact checked and non-fact checked news story according to partisanship, outlet and other factors. Notes: Source, Authors; n= 1138; Note: For example to interpret the figure on general trust in the media, 98 per cent of those that trust the media “a lot” have trust in the new story. Figure 3 of 3 Figure 3. Trust in the third-party fact-checks according to partisanship, outlet and other factors. Source: Authors, n = 1138. Table 1 of 2 Table 1. Fact check experiment ordinal regression models – Trust. Table 2 of 2 Table 2. Fact check experiment ordinal regression models - Credibility.
February 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM