Preprint
Article
Decoding the Risk of Accepting Online Misinformation Using Intelligence Quotient and Income
This version is not peer-reviewed.
Submitted:
18 July 2021
Posted:
21 July 2021
Read the latest preprint version here
Abstract
Abstract: The object of the study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with accepting online misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination in the United States. The percentages of fully vaccinated people, with regards to COVID-19, were considered as a surrogate measure of accepting online misinformation. The study evaluated the impact of the US state's average intelligence quotient (IQ) and per capita income on accepting misinformation. The study found that socio-demographic groups with lower income along with lower intelligence quotient (IQ) are more vulnerable to online misinformation theories surrounding COVID-19. Further study is needed to evaluate how to increase the intelligence quotient among low-income individuals and whether such an effort will reduce the acceptance of misinformation among the vulnerable population in the United States.
Keywords:
Subject:
Social Sciences - PsychologyCopyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.
Alerts
MDPI Initiatives
Important Links
© 2025 MDPI (Basel, Switzerland) unless otherwise stated