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Concerning the potentially harmful impact of misinformation on democracy, many scholars have empirically examined the relationship between misinformation belief and political participation. However, previous studies have primarily focused on participation behaviors such as voting and protests, overlooking the effects of misinformation on “lifestyle politics.” This study aims to address this research gap by examining the nuanced role of misinformation belief in political consumerism, utilizing survey data collected in the context of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill movement in Hong Kong. Our findings indicate that misinformation belief played an important role in boosting pro-movement consumption, though it alone did not promote pro-government consumption. Moreover, the role of misinformation may vary depending on individuals’ levels of democracy satisfaction and government trust. Given the extraelectoral and self-initiated nature of political consumerism, we also discuss practical implications for social activism and marketing.
Shi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.