WiseME
Online Course
Module 3: Psychological and emotional reactions to misinformation
Level - Intermediate
Welcome Teachers!

Psychological & emotional reactions to misinformation
This module aims to equip teachers with the knowledge and strategies to help students aged 12ā17 understand and navigate the complexities of emotional aspects when using social media. We will explore cognitive biases, manipulative techniques such as labelling, and the importance of mindfulness in fostering emotional resilience in the digital age. Key topics include the significance of self and social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills within the framework of social-emotional learning (SEL).Ā

STRUCTURE
OBJECTIVES
PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF MISINFORMATION & THEIR INFLUENCE
Media has historically played a key role in spreading misinformation, as seen with the printing press amplifying baseless witch hunt accusations in the 15th to 17th centuries, leading to fear and persecution. Similarly, modern social media accelerates the spread of misinformation to vast audiences, often unchecked.
Concerning our increased ability to share with the existence of social media, the research shows (Soroush et al., 2028) that:


The confirmation bias is making us to:
LOOK UP mainly/only information confirming our viewpoint (selective exposure)
PERCEIVE information mainly/ in a way that confirms our point of view (people, thanks to confirmation bias, hear only some parts of the story/information presented and ignore the parts that do not fit our conception). This aspect is crucial to understanding that confirmation bias distorts what we actually see (perceive) and, hence, the information we are getting and remembering.(selective exposure)
INTERPRET information to favor our point of view. Neglecting or relativizing the information contradicting our point of view or rationalize the explanation to support our point of view.

The role of manipulative techniques in believing and sharing false news
throughManipulative techniques play a key role in the success of spreading disinformation and fake news through social media. Manipulative techniques are designed to abuse our basic cognitive functions and to exploit our biases through emotional and rationalization manipulation.

Example 1: An extreme example of blame-shifting (scapegoating) would be the Nazi approach to blaming and scapegoating, particularly towards Jews. This serves as a historical example of a manipulative technique used to foster division and hatred. By portraying Jews as the source of societal problemsāsuch as economic hardship or political instabilityāthe Nazis dehumanized this group and shifted public frustration away from the regime’s failures. This scapegoating strategy not only unified their followers through a common enemy but also justified discriminatory policies and violence. This serves as a critical lesson in understanding how misinformation and emotional manipulation can lead to harmful ideologies and actions. Unfortunately, we can see similar tendencies used by today’s politicians (e.g. blaming emigrants, blaming the EU Green Deal, etc.).
Example 2 from a school environment:
Blaming someone when a team receives a poor grade in a school project, saying,
– “Itās all your fault we failed!
– “You didnāt do any work!”
In this scenario, the blaming student is using the other team member as a scapegoat to deflect responsibility from the entire group.
Instead of acknowledging that the project was a team effort and that everyone shared some responsibility, the blame is unfairly placed on one person.
This oversimplifies the situation and avoids addressing the real issues.
Negative psychological impacts of using social media for teenagers
Psychological impacts and potential risks associated with using TikTok and other social media, particularly for teenagers:
PART 2: BUILDING EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE AGAINST MISINFORMATION CONSUMPTION
Strategies to manage emotional reactions to misinformation
Overcoming biases and manipulation requires conscious action and self-awareness.
Enhancing emotional intelligence and mindfulness can foster resilience against disinformation and promote responsible decision-making.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a well-designed approach for conceptualising and developing skills for emotional awareness, empathy, and conscious decision-making.
SEL consists of five main components:
PART 3: PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
This section introduces two engaging activitiesā one digital-free and one online that can be implemented during school class activities, fostering hands-on learning and digital engagement.

