Perceived Competence in Detecting Mis- and Disinformation Online: Reconsidering the Third Person Effect

Abstract

The third person effect coined by Davison, provides a different perspective from media effect theories as it mainly deals with beliefs about media effects rather than its direct influence on individuals. The literature on TPE has demonstrated a broad perspective in exploring perceptual bias in various media contexts as well as conditions to magnify TPE. The issue of digital disinformation has increased the number of studies as it has provided a different perspective in context of the third person effect. The threat caused by COVID-19 has led an increase in health news consumption causing a wide spread of mis/disinformation about the origin, prevention and treatment of the pandemic. Considering source credibility as a moderator in testing TPE hypothesis, people will likely to think that mis-and disinformation online will have a greater effect on others and may depend on their perceived competence in spotting mis- and disinformation online when judging its effect on oneself and others. Therefore, the research aims at exploring the way individuals perceive the effects of health-related mis/disinformation and the possible variables influencing TPE.A survey-based study of 767 Turkish internet users was conducted in January 2021. Paired simple T-test to explore third person effect and hierarchical regression analysis to investigate factors associated with TPE were performed. Results revealed that biased third-person effects existed regarding health related mis/disinformation online and perceived competence to detect mis/disinformation online and exposure to digital mis/disinformation were the significant predictors of TPE.

Keywords

• Third-person effect
• Misinformation
• Disinformation
• Digital media
• Health news

Çevrimiçi Mez/Dezenformasyonun Tespit Edilmesinde Algılanan Yetkinlik: Üçüncü Kişi Etkisini Yeniden Düşünmek

Abstract

Davison tarafından alanyazına kazandırılan üçüncü kişi etkisi, medyanın kişiler üzerindeki doğrudan etkisi yerine medyanın algılanan etkilerine odaklanarak medya etki teorilerinden farklı bir bakış açısı sağlamaktadır. Literatürde üçüncü kişi etkisi farklı kitle iletişim araçlarında algısal yanlılığı ve bu yanlılığı artıran etkenleri de tartışacak şekilde oldukça geniş bir yelpazede ele alınmaktadır. Dijital dezenformasyon konusu, üçüncü kişi teorisinin yeni bir bağlamda ele alınmasını sağlayarak yapılan çalışmaları artırmıştır. KOVID-19 salgının yarattığı tehditle birlikte sağlık haberi tüketiminin artması, pandeminin nedeni, önlenmesi ve tedavisine ilişkin mez/dezenformasyonun geniş çapta yayılmasını beraberinde getirmiştir. Kaynak güvenirliği, üçüncü kişi hipotezinin sınanmasında bir değişken olarak ele alındığında, kişilerin çevrimiçi mez/dezenformasyonun diğerlerinin üzerinde daha güçlü bir etkiye sahip olduğunu düşünme eğiliminde olacağı ve kendileri ve diğerleri üzerinde oluşan etkiyi değerlendirirken, çevrimiçi mez/dezenformasyonu tespit edebilmede kendilerine duydukları güvenin etkili olabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle araştırma, kişilerin sağlık konulu mez/dezenformasyonun etkilerine ilişkin algısını ve üçüncü kişi etkisini etkileyen olası değişkenleri ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. 2021 Ocak ayı içine Türkiye’de 767 internet kullanıcısıyla çevrimiçi bir anket uygulaması gerçekleştirilmiştir. Üçüncü kişi etkisinin tespit edilmesinde bağımlı değişken T testi ve üçüncü kişi etkisiyle ilgili değişkenlerin belirlenmesinde hiyerarşik regresyon analizi uygulanmıştır.Elde edilen sonuçlar, üçüncü kişi etkisinin sağlık konulu çevrimiçi mez/dezenformasyona ilişkin de geçerli olduğunu ve kişilerin dijital mez/dezenformasyonun tespit edilmesinde algıladıkları yetkinliklerinin ve dijital mez/dezenformasyona maruz kalma durumlarının üçüncü kişi etkisinin önemli yordayıcıları olduğunu göstermiştir.

Keywords

• Üçüncü kişi etkisi
• Mezenformasyon
• Dezenformasyon
• Dijital medya
• Sağlık haberleri

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