July 2019 PMID 29935897

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning.

Gordon Pennycook, David G Rand

Mentions

193
Peak: 10 in May 2021
across 7 sources since Jan 2019

Extended reach

401,916
potential audience

Total likes

3,163

Video views

57,327

Mentions per month

Jan 2019 – Jul 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News111 articles
  • X / Twitter49 posts
  • Blogs17 articles
  • Reddit8 posts
  • Facebook4 posts
  • YouTube3 videos
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The group's reactions include references to the original publication, with some emphasizing that fake news success is more about lazy thinking than bias, as seen in comments like 'Lack of reasoning explains fake news susceptibility.' Others question the implications, with tone variations ranging from supportive to dismissive, which reflects a moderate but meaningful engagement with the research's message and potential influence on understanding misinformation.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support the study's conclusion that lack of reasoning explains susceptibility to fake news more than motivated reasoning, as shown by supportive comments and references to the paper.

InterestModerate interest

The discussions demonstrate moderate interest, with many posts linking to the study and discussing its implications, but some also dismiss or critique the findings.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants engage by sharing links, citing the research, and commenting on its significance, indicating a moderate level of thoughtful involvement.

ImpactModerate impact

The widespread sharing and referencing of this study suggest it has a noticeable influence on conversations about misinformation and reasoning abilities.

Abstract in brief

  • The study investigates whether people believe fake news because they lack reasoning skills or due to motivated reasoning influenced by political bias, finding that better analytical thinkers (higher CRT scores) are less likely to believe fake headlines regardless of political alignment.
  • Results show that individuals with higher analytical reasoning are better at distinguishing real news from fake news and tend to evaluate headlines based on plausibility rather than political bias.
  • The research suggests that susceptibility to fake news is more related to lazy thinking rather than partisan bias, indicating that encouraging analytical reasoning could help combat misinformation.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Brian D. Earp, Ph.D.
@briandavidearp · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning - ScienceDirect https://t.co/rpq7xm5nWu

May 3, 2021 · 16 likes · 4 shares · 26,092 followers View post →
Steven Strogatz
@stevenstrogatz · X

"Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning", by @GordPennycook & @DG_Rand -- https://t.co/Lxx1kQxF8r [PDF]

Jan 29, 2019 · 9 likes · 4 shares · 164,542 followers View post →
Yuuko Morimoto
@myuuko · X

認知的熟慮テストの成績がいい人ほど,本人のイデオロギーとは無関係に,フェイクニュースを本当のニュースと識別できるよという研究。ヘッドラインのもっともらしさの査定と関連。/ Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained… https://t.co/yDfXBsvmqN

Mar 25, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 9,264 followers View post →
椎名
@Shiina_Hanamaru · X

バカほどフェイクニュースを真実と捉えるって研究( *´艸`) 認知力や論理的に分析力が高ければ、自分の好みのニュースであってもフェイクだと見抜けるってヽ

Mar 31, 2021 · 5 likes · 80 followers View post →
Sergey Minaev
@sminaev2015 · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning - ScienceDirect https://t.co/YOT4XCKpSb

Jun 4, 2021 · 4 likes · 31,498 followers View post →
Atomsk's Sanakan
@AtomsksSanakan · X

PapersOfTheDay "Belief in fake news is associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious [...]" https://t.co/VA3AjcgsXu "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" https://t.co/4pxIOyRZRp https://t.co/ozzl7L58y8

Mar 23, 2019 · 3 likes · 3 shares · 3,349 followers View post →

All mentions

The Impact of Charisma on Perceived Competence

In this episode, we explore the charisma bias—why smooth talkers often gain more trust than those with true competence. We analyze pop culture case studies to understand how confidence misrepresents expertise and the…

David They · Jul 1, 2025 158 views
Maia
@angeliquedeberg · X

https://t.co/b9wGf3t5Ra "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" 6/n

Jun 28, 2025 · 1 like · 2,963 followers View post →
DrMacAlpine
@drmacalpine.bsky.social · Bluesky

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29935897/

Dec 26, 2024 View post →
Gábor
@dr_med_ivanhoe · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan #fakenews is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning https://t.co/TdqvkWqK7s | via @NLM_NIH by @GordPennycook & @DG_Rand

Jun 11, 2023 · 481 followers View post →
Bernhard Clemm
@BernhardClemm · X

3/10 My claim: News stimuli need to represent some conceptual “population of information”. I show why this is important with a re-analysis of a @GordPennycook @DG_Rand paper https://t.co/IQ2RnXpXa8 https://t.co/0xIygviLCS

May 2, 2023 · 2 likes · 620 followers View post →
Mike Aichele
@mikeaichele · X

@grevensound @jpsf1971 @denisparra Pensar que es el sesgo de confirmación es, en sí, un sesgo de confirmación. Los estudios apuntan a que los fake news funcionan más por “pereza del razonamiento” que por “razonamiento motivado” https://t.co/VnDyL9IXSF

Sep 11, 2022 · 35 followers View post →
Mike Aichele
@mikeaichele · X

@sientifiko1 "La susceptibilidad a las noticias falsas partidistas se explica mejor por la falta de razonamiento que por el razonamiento motivado" Es decir, simple estupidez... twitter nos demuestra, que los grados académicos, sólo hacen más ilustre esa estupidez https://t.co/VnDyL9IXSF

Aug 29, 2022 · 1 like · 35 followers View post →
Max Lu
@maxlvhao · X

Pennycook, Gordon, and David G. Rand. "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning." Cognition 188 (2019): 39-50.

Aug 22, 2022 · 1,547 followers View post →
Shane Littrell, PhD
@MetacogniShane · X

@TheRewiredSoul @RyanBruno7287 Refs: https://t.co/8PCsGWK3PS https://t.co/VUp8dXP9UX https://t.co/HSDANuZmcI

Jun 30, 2022 · 2 likes · 874 followers View post →
Bob
@fluxcapdoodah · X

RT @juliagalef: @parsimon I'm curious if either @BrendanNyhan or @cult_cognition have any thoughts on this paper? (Pennycook & Rand, 2018…

Apr 26, 2022 · 1 share · 688 followers View post →
Bob
@fluxcapdoodah · X

RT @DG_Rand: @wherewelive If listeners would like to read more, there is a press release here: https://t.co/kZ2InYI9vr and the actual pape…

Apr 26, 2022 · 3 shares · 688 followers View post →
Bob
@fluxcapdoodah · X

RT @banksean: Really enjoying this series on Fake News from a data/analytics perspective. This episode referenced "Lazy, not biased: Suscep…

Apr 26, 2022 · 1 share · 688 followers View post →
Bob
@fluxcapdoodah · X

RT @NashTurley: Study suggest people share fake news mostly because they don't take time/effort to think about it "Lazy, not biased: Susce…

Apr 26, 2022 · 1 share · 688 followers View post →
Bob
@fluxcapdoodah · X

RT @AtomsksSanakan: PapersOfTheDay "Belief in fake news is associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious [...]" https://t.co/VA3Ajcg…

Apr 26, 2022 · 3 shares · 688 followers View post →
Joe Bloggs
@isjoebloggs · X

RT @PFCdgayo: El último artículo en esta tanda es "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of re…

Oct 24, 2021 · 3 shares · 225 followers View post →
PA Psych Assoc.
@PaPsyAssn · X

Lazy, Not Biased: Susceptibility to Partisan Fake News Is Better Explained by Lack of Reasoning Than by Motivated Reasoning https://t.co/wxVMRBJDkG

Jun 16, 2021 · 1 like · 1,190 followers View post →
Sergey Minaev
@sminaev2015 · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning - ScienceDirect https://t.co/YOT4XCKpSb

Jun 4, 2021 · 4 likes · 31,498 followers View post →
Samuel
@SamuelPeres07 · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better expla... https://t.co/PDiCiVnXau

Jun 3, 2021 · 250 followers View post →
Science news
@UpdateonScience · X

https://t.co/zbrTB55pHT Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning #sciencenews https://t.co/LIjUPh85C4

Jun 3, 2021 · 1,882 followers View post →
⚡️YOU SCIENCE ⚡️
@YouScienceLIVE · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning via /r/science https://t.co/Ee7lBDcrMZ

Jun 3, 2021 · 1,020 followers View post →
localhostscience
@localhostsci · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning

Jun 3, 2021 · 35 followers View post →
Ken Gusler
@kgusler · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning - https://t.co/U6kvmtmF5b

Jun 3, 2021 · 20,017 followers View post →
NashTurley
@NashTurley · X

Study suggest people share fake news mostly because they don't take time/effort to think about it "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" https://t.co/AeiKinU27g

May 18, 2021 · 2 likes · 1 share · 5,401 followers View post →
Joe Bloggs
@isjoebloggs · X

RT @PFCdgayo: El último artículo en esta tanda es "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of re…

May 13, 2021 · 3 shares · 225 followers View post →
Fernando Blanco
@FBpsy · X

RT @PFCdgayo: El último artículo en esta tanda es "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of re…

May 13, 2021 · 3 shares · 7,934 followers View post →
Daniel Gayo-Avello
@PFCdgayo · X

El último artículo en esta tanda es "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" por @GordPennycook y @DG_Rand. https://t.co/7T3V8AcNQF

May 13, 2021 · 2 likes · 3 shares · 1,816 followers View post →
Steve Wyre
@StevenWyre · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better expla... https://t.co/tseMJ1jo2g

May 9, 2021 · 186 followers View post →
Jaime Vera
@neverwrit · X

RT @briandavidearp: Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reaso…

May 3, 2021 · 4 shares · 1,093 followers View post →
Santiago Santana
@santiago_j_s · X

RT @briandavidearp: Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reaso…

May 3, 2021 · 4 shares · 1,400 followers View post →
ddouglas
@dd9000 · X

RT @briandavidearp: Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reaso…

May 3, 2021 · 4 shares · 2,111 followers View post →
Charles Peyton
@Friedmanzone · X

RT @briandavidearp: Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reaso…

May 3, 2021 · 4 shares · 760 followers View post →
Brian D. Earp, Ph.D.
@briandavidearp · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning - ScienceDirect https://t.co/rpq7xm5nWu

May 3, 2021 · 16 likes · 4 shares · 26,092 followers View post →
椎名
@Shiina_Hanamaru · X

バカほどフェイクニュースを真実と捉えるって研究( *´艸`) 認知力や論理的に分析力が高ければ、自分の好みのニュースであってもフェイクだと見抜けるってヽ

Mar 31, 2021 · 5 likes · 80 followers View post →
nemo
@nemomanas · X

RT @myuuko: 認知的熟慮テストの成績がいい人ほど,本人のイデオロギーとは無関係に,フェイクニュースを本当のニュースと識別できるよという研究。ヘッドラインのもっともらしさの査定と関連。/ Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to parti…

Mar 25, 2021 · 1 share · 501 followers View post →
Yuuko Morimoto
@myuuko · X

認知的熟慮テストの成績がいい人ほど,本人のイデオロギーとは無関係に,フェイクニュースを本当のニュースと識別できるよという研究。ヘッドラインのもっともらしさの査定と関連。/ Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained… https://t.co/yDfXBsvmqN

Mar 25, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 9,264 followers View post →
MichaelD
@mikeyd_47 · X

“We find that CRT performance is...positively correlated with the ability to discern fake news from real news – even for headlines that align with individuals’ political ideology” Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better expla... https://t.co/6MpjgMVsdR

Feb 24, 2021 · 1,578 followers View post →
libbi sharma
@LibbiSharma · X

Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning https://t.co/BYFjqAmI4t

Sep 6, 2020 · 7 followers View post →
maargentino.bsky.social
@_MAArgentino · X

Link to the study "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" https://t.co/FnsJRL7Vn3

Aug 20, 2019 · 26,782 followers View post →
Meowrider.
@gatoparlante · X

Lazy, Not Biased: Susceptibility to Partisan Fake News Is Better Explained by Lack of Reasoning Than by Motivated Reasoning @SSRN https://t.co/d47KLA22Zt cc @cbellolio, @daosorios

May 25, 2019 · 1,279 followers View post →
@jschuurmd.bsky.social
@JSchuurMD · X

“Falling for fake news is more a result of a lack of thinking than partisanship.” Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning https://t.co/Hv049H0l4P

May 13, 2019 · 1 like · 4,261 followers View post →
Atomsk's Sanakan
@AtomsksSanakan · X

RT @AtomsksSanakan: PapersOfTheDay "Belief in fake news is associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious [...]" https://t.co/VA3Ajcg…

Mar 25, 2019 · 3 shares · 3,349 followers View post →
David Hanselman
@david_hanselman · X

RT @AtomsksSanakan: PapersOfTheDay "Belief in fake news is associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious [...]" https://t.co/VA3Ajcg…

Mar 23, 2019 · 3 shares · 576 followers View post →
Atomsk's Sanakan
@AtomsksSanakan · X

PapersOfTheDay "Belief in fake news is associated with delusionality, dogmatism, religious [...]" https://t.co/VA3AjcgsXu "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning" https://t.co/4pxIOyRZRp https://t.co/ozzl7L58y8

Mar 23, 2019 · 3 likes · 3 shares · 3,349 followers View post →
AlliansensGräsrötter
@all_insane · X

RT @giselaj: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning"

Feb 13, 2019 · 2 shares · 1,120 followers View post →
Hår med volym och lyster
@blbolka · X

RT @giselaj: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning"

Feb 13, 2019 · 2 shares · 740 followers View post →
gisela
@giselaj · X

"Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning"

Feb 13, 2019 · 3 likes · 2 shares · 3,293 followers View post →
Bruce Grey Tedesco
@BruceTedesco · X

RT @stevenstrogatz: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reas…

Jan 30, 2019 · 4 shares · 1,873 followers View post →
Daniel of the Shire
@countrsignal · X

RT @stevenstrogatz: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reas…

Jan 29, 2019 · 4 shares · 765 followers View post →
Brian Laung Aoaeh, CFA
@brianlaungaoaeh · X

RT @stevenstrogatz: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reas…

Jan 29, 2019 · 4 shares · 5,536 followers View post →
eric adams thought enjoyer
@george_berry · X

RT @stevenstrogatz: "Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reas…

Jan 29, 2019 · 4 shares · 2,407 followers View post →
Steven Strogatz
@stevenstrogatz · X

"Lazy, not biased: Susceptibility to partisan fake news is better explained by lack of reasoning than by motivated reasoning", by @GordPennycook & @DG_Rand -- https://t.co/Lxx1kQxF8r [PDF]

Jan 29, 2019 · 9 likes · 4 shares · 164,542 followers View post →