Public Perception: The Psychology Behind Public Acceptance of Misinformation & Political Rumors with Adam Berinsky, PhD

Misinformation is aggressively injected into the information ecosystem, and it is readily consumed and adopted by those who are too busy to fully pay attention, leveraging cognitive bias in a distracted society. This media manipulation is often fueled by financial incentives, rewarding so-called experts who deliver false narratives in entertaining and engaging ways. This weighs the heaviest on society when politicians can’t agree on policy because they can’t agree on facts.

To search for the tools of truth, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Dr. Adam Berinsky, author and the Mitsui Professor of Political Science at MIT.

Adam dissects the psychology of misinformation, by examining those who create it with malicious intent, the villains who disseminate it for profit, and the audience most likely to adopt it without question.

Original Air Date Wednesday, October 22, 2025

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Meet Our Guest:

Adam Berinsky, PhD, is the Mitsui Professor of Political Science at MIT and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.

A leading expert on political behavior and public opinion, he has spent the last 15 years researching the spread of political rumors and misinformation and how they shape our democracy.

Book:  Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It

Adam Berinsky PhD—Misinformation & Political Rumors:

  • Why do some people staunchly believe misinformation? {2:05}
  • A trusted source of information outweighs media manipulation. {5:54}
  • Fake news propagates through incidental exposure. {13:40}
  • There is no magic solution to quell the spread of misinformation. {22:30}
  • Politicians are the villains of misinformation and political rumors. {28:46}
  • Financial incentives drive misinformation. {41:16}

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Shareables:

“One’s beliefs then become personal, separate from the facts. Therein lies the family feud.” @LisaKamen on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “What I think is really important is to separate out the message from the messenger.“ @AdamBerinsky on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “We don't want to be flexible about the facts. We need to be flexible about who delivers the message.” @AdamBerinsky on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Politicians are not engaging with the facts.” @AdamBerinsky on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

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