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Abstract The rapid dissemination of fake news on social media poses unprecedented challenges to consumer trust and the legitimacy of businesses. This research investigates how exposure to fake news, moderated by religious and political orientations, exacerbates confirmation bias and reduces social media engagement, with subsequent effects on consumer perceptions of businesses. Across three experimental studies ( N = 1,052), we integrate construal level theory, moral foundations theory, and elaboration likelihood model to propose and test a novel framework. Findings reveal that fake news triggers distinct cognitive and moral pathways - dependent on ideological strength - leading to heightened confirmation bias and reduced engagement (e.g., sharing, liking). Advanced analytics, including moderated mediation and latent profile analysis, underscore the heterogeneity of these effects. This study pioneers a multidimensional understanding of fake news in consumer behavior, offering actionable insights for marketers and policymakers to counter misinformation in ideologically polarized contexts.
Haq et al. (Thu,) studied this question.