Description
‘The Psychology of Disinformation’ is a journalistic investigation that brings together Newtral’s fact-checking journalists and University of Granada’s cognitive psychology scientists to explore how mental biases—such as confirmation bias, the anchoring effect, or the illusory truth effect—are exploited to drive and reinforce disinformation within the Spanish and European digital ecosystems.
“In Spain, we recently experienced an outbreak of racially motivated violence (in the town of Torre Pacheco, Murcia) that was fueled by viral falsehoods targeting immigrants. This disinformation, spread by foreign xenophobic channels with pro-Russian and pro-Orbán affiliations, demonstrates how disinformation not only distorts public discourse but can also actively incite violence, deepen social divides, and target vulnerable communities not only digitally but with physical consequences. With this investigation, we aim to go beyond content verification to examine how digital platforms and cognitive vulnerabilities interact to make such narratives effective and far-reaching.” — Marilín Gonzalo, Newtral’s Public Policy representative
Journalistic outputs
| El “paquete retórico” del odio: la fórmula que viraliza la desinformación en las redes sociales In Newtral | 13/07/2026 |
| The psychology of viral disinformation: Decoding the rhetorical package of hate In Newtral | 14/07/2026 |
| Periodistas y científicos descifran el ‘paquete retórico’: la fórmula psicológica que contribuye al odio y la desinformación en redes (Madrid Press Association) In Asociación de la Prensa de Madrid | 14/07/2026 |
| El CIMCYC y Newtral analizan el “paquete retórico” del odio y la desinformación en redes sociales In Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento (CIMCYC) | 14/07/2026 |
Project Team
Media outlet
Research organisation
Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada
Granada, Spain
https://cimcyc.ugr.es/
Fernando Blanco Bregón
Associate professor
Spain
