Sociocultural factors in the spread of environmental misinformation
Evidence from Arauco Province, Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26422/aucom.2026.1501.vilKeywords:
attitudes, belief, environment, misinformation, sharingAbstract
In light of the growing environmental challenges facing societies and the rise of misinformation, which is becoming a significant threat to informed decision-making and effective environmental action, this study investigates the correlation between sociocultural variables and the inclination to believe and share misinformation related to the environment. A survey was conducted among 334 adults residing in the Province of Arauco, located in south-central Chile. The study analyzes the data using Spearman correlation tests and ANOVA. The findings reveal that, in general, there is no significant correlation between sociocultural variables (generation, gender, educational level, ideology, and religion) and attitudes toward believing and sharing fake environmental news. In particular, a weak negative correlation was found between generation and the willingness to believe and share misinformation suggesting that older generations may exhibit lower susceptibility. Furthermore, politically engaged individuals showed a weak negative relationship, indicating a greater likelihood that political ideology influences the acceptance of misinformation. The results also highlight the underlying problem of people struggling to differentiate between true and false information, with a high percentage (83%) of participants failing to accurately identify the misinformation presented.
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