Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Misinformation Susceptibility in Young Adulthood

The spread of misinformation poses a societal challenge, giving rise to concerns regarding younger generations who grow up immersed in digital environments. In this study, we combined scientific insights with participatory research (focus groups with youth and interviews with parents and police officers) to identify risk and protective factors in misinformation susceptibility. A total of n = 1980 participants aged 18 to 34 completed the Misinformation Susceptibility Test alongside validated measures of cognitive, social, and ideological scales. Results showed that more social media use, more conservative political preference, and higher receptivity to pseudoscientific profoundness related to poorer veracity discernment, while higher education, greater need to belong, more open-minded thinking, and identifying as male related to better discernment. Importantly, different forms of social media use were differentially related to veracity discernment. Active engagement (e.g., posting and reacting) was associated with worse veracity discernment, while passive engagement (e.g., browsing) showed the opposite pattern. A network analysis further revealed that digital maturity may have indirect beneficial relations with veracity discernment. These findings suggest that misinformation susceptibility is associated with a constellation of cognitive, social, educational, and ideological factors. Beyond fostering education and analytic reasoning skills, interventions may need to target digital behaviors, peer norms, and social motivational needs to build resilience against misinformation in young adults.