This chapter explores how online communication, particularly on social media, reshapes the reputational incentives that motivate speakers to communicate truthfully.Drawing on costly signalling theory (CST), it examines how online contexts alter the social mechanisms that sustain honest communication.Key characteristics of online spaces are identified and discussed, namely (i) the presence of novel speech acts like reposting, (ii) the gamification of communication, (iii) information overload, (iv) the presence of anonymous and unaccountable sources and (v) the increased reach and persistence of online communication.Both epistemic pitfalls and potential benefits of these features are discussed, identifying promising avenues for further empirical investigation, and underscoring CST's value for understanding and tackling online misinformation.
This chapter explores the dynamics of online misinformation through the lens of costly signalling theory (CST). It highlights how social media reshapes the reputational incentives for truthful communication, discussing characteristics such as novel speech acts like reposting, gamification of communication, information overload, and the actions of anonymous sources. The chapter critically evaluates how these factors both facilitate and challenge the spread of misinformation. It integrates CST with the challenges posed by online environments to offer insights into potential solutions for curbing misinformation. The author discusses how online communication creates low-cost signals, increasing the prevalence of misinformation while presenting pathways for further empirical research and policy implications.
This paper employs the following methods:
- Costly Signalling Theory (CST)
The following datasets were used in this research:
- Understanding how digital technologies alter the mechanisms for truthful communication
- Demonstrating the impacts of reposting as a new communicative act on misinformation spread
- Identifying the challenges of information overload on vigilance against misinformation
The authors identified the following limitations:
- The chapter focuses primarily on epistemic reputational incentives, potentially overlooking other influential factors in misinformation spread, such as cognitive biases or structural interests.
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