Believing and disseminating fake news: The limited effects of warning labels and personal recommendations on political partisans

Abstract Since fake news poses serious problems for individuals, groups, and societies, it is crucial to understand the factors that either increase or diminish its credibility and dissemination. Thus, a 2×2 between-subjects experiment ( n = 455) was conducted to investigate the influence of warning labels and personal recommendations on political partisans’ perceptions of fake news credibility and their willingness to disseminate fake news. The results show that partisans were more likely to believe and disseminate fake news that aligned with their views. While warning labels modestly reduced the perceived credibility of fake news, personal recommendations tended to increase the willingness to disseminate fake news if the content of the fake news was in line with partisans’ opinion.