Are people more likely to accurately evaluate misinformation when the political stakes are high? Haha, no

Incentives considerably enhance our cognitive engagement, making us more discerning and accurate in our evaluations, whether it’s for math problems or assessing information accuracy online.

Studies show that providing monetary rewards significantly boosts people’s inclination to verify the truthfulness of information, whether it’s evaluating social media posts or crime witness testimonies.

A series of psychological studies suggest that when individuals are incentivized, they are more likely to apply cognitive resources effectively to gather truth, thereby improving decision-making.

In controlled experiments, small financial incentives have proven to reduce error rates in tasks requiring scrutiny, demonstrating a clear link between motivation and cognitive diligence.

Read at Nieman Lab