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COLES RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
is study examines why individuals accept and engage with fake news during periods of uncertainty, even when the information is false. Drawing on multi-attribute utility theory and the Overton Window, we develop and test a model to explain how users evaluate news shared on social media. Using more than 10,000 Twitter posts related to COVID-19, we compare fake news with tabloid journalism to identify similarities and key di erences in how each is consumed. e ndings show that emotional appeal plays a central role in shaping both informational and emotional utility for fake news and tabloid content.
How Emotion and Social Acceptance Shape the Spread of Fake News Aaron French Coles Research Symposium on Homeland Security Special Issue, SIFALL25-02, November 2025
This study examines why individuals accept and engage with fake news during periods of uncertainty, even when the information is false. Drawing on multi-attribute utility theory and the Overton Window, we develop and test a model to explain how users evaluate news shared on social media. Using more than 10,000 Twitter posts related to COVID-19, we compare fake news with tabloid journalism to identify similarities and key differences in how each is consumed. The findings show that emotional appeal plays a central role in shaping both informational and emotional utility for fake news and tabloid content. However, perceived truthfulness and relevance significantly influence engagement only for fake news, not for tabloid journalism, where users implicitly discount accuracy. Negative emotional tone increases the perceived utility of fake news, while positive emotional tone is more influential in tabloid content. Importantly, when fake news falls within socially acceptable discourse, as reflected by engagement patterns, users are more likely to engage with and share it, even when falsity is present. These results demonstrate that fake news consumption is driven less by truth and more by emotional utility, relevance, and perceived acceptability. For researchers, the study extends fake news theory beyond confirmation bias. For practitioners and policymakers, it highlights why emotionally calibrated misinformation can evade detection and influence public discourse.
The annual Coles College Research Symposium on Homeland Security brings together researchers from across KSU and across the country to share their work on critically important issues like terrorism, public health, natural disasters, cyberattacks, and more. This section includes research presented at the Fall 2024 symposium.
Emotional tone is a stronger driver of fake news engagement than truthfulness. As the window of acceptance widens, believability of extreme ideas increases. Social acceptability overrides accuracy in determining what spreads.
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