The influence of disinformation

The average willingness to consume vegetables grown with treated wastewater decreases when people are warned of disinformation that says treated wastewater is contaminated. This negative effect is most pronounced among people who are more concerned about their health or who score high on fear of contamination. People concerned about sustainability are not so easily discouraged. On the contrary, they seem to build up resistance to disinformation. These are some of the findings of our social science and communication research, presented at a conference on Climate Mis/Disinformation in a Post-Factual Era in July 2023 in Lyon.