Psychological Mechanisms of Promoting False Information on the Internet

Introduction. The analysis of the coverage of socially significant events of recent years shows that increasing attention in the scientific community is paid to the study of the problems of perception, assimilation and formation of attitude judgments and attitudes to what is happening in the conditions of the emergence of new forms of manipulative influence based on artificial intelligence technologies, machine learning, blockchain, Big Data, analysis of socio-psychological and individual personal characteristics of users of new types of media of mass communication (social networks, blogs, forums, platforms), their vulnerabilities, propensity to promote unverified information. The goal is to find out the psychological mechanisms, forms and methods of manipulative influence on the Internet, search for ways to counteract destructive information. Materials and Methods. The analysis of domestic and foreign scientific literature on social, informational, political, and general psychology was carried out, which reveals the psychological mechanisms that promote, assimilate, and respond to false messages in the digital environment. The methods of analogies, formal and dialectical logic, and the comparative method were used. Results and Discussion. The role of psychological mechanisms, effects and phenomena in the promotion and assimilation of destructive information generated and disseminated by various subjects for their own purposes is revealed. Attention is drawn to the effect of the illusion of truth, echo chambers, cognitive abilities associated with analytical and open thinking, open-mindedness, issues that make it difficult to counteract the spread of false information. Conclusion. The main psychological mechanisms contributing to the promotion of unreliable information are identified, and the ways to increase psychological stability and counteract the information and psychological impact on Internet users are considered