Monash University
From the deep-fake ‘endorsement’ by Taylor Swift of Republican candidate Donald Trump to the allegation that Haitian migrants are consuming family pets, US voters have been inundated with mis- and disinformation in the lead up to the 60th US Presidential Election on Tuesday 5 November. Behavioural science can explain the complex process of how these factors can influence our votes, and provide a way forward in addressing it.
Dr Denise Goodwin, Senior Research Fellow, Co-Director of Health and Social Programs at Monash’s BehaviourWorks Australia says:
“With just hours left for US presidential hopefuls to sway voters, both sides of politics will be making a last ditch effort to influence the polls. While there is one key decision for voters to make, the behavioural science that examines why we vote the way we do shows us that our vote is really the culmination of hundreds more decisions made throughout the campaign in response to the persuasive techniques and messaging of both sides.
“There are around 180 biases that drive human behaviour, and many of them will be things most of us have never heard of and aren’t aware of. When politicians tap into these biases, particularly with the dissemination of ‘fake’ news, mis- and disinformation, what they are aiming for is to make us feel that our safety and security are in danger. That’s a compelling case for us to make decisions that we are led to believe will protect us.
“We are seeing a lot of these more radical, aggressive and utterly unethical campaigning techniques migrate from the US into Australia in recent times, so it’s critical that we as a nation learn from the danger of mis- and disinformation and address the need for ethical and just campaigning.”
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