The School of Economics conducted a study on how brain performance relates to the ability to detect false information across groups with varying levels of media literacy. The finding was released by the press service of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
Researchers focused on the psychophysiological response to misinformation in an individual. The study involved two groups of HSE students: one group had taken media literacy courses and had experience analyzing media critically, while the other group had not. “The goal was to understand how these factors influence the perception of disinformation,” explained Olga Kuskova, one of the researchers involved in the project.
During the experiment, participants watched video clips longer than one minute that covered fake news, conspiracy theories, and an episode of a classic television anthology. For control, they also viewed an emotionally neutral clip showing a person walking in a park.
Throughout the imaging session, participants wore electroencephalography sensors. The researchers used intersubjective correlation, a method that assumes that while brain activity varies from person to person, those who process the same content tend to show synchronized patterns. The greater the emotional engagement, the stronger the synchronization observed.
This approach matters because it helps capture moments of peak audience attention and then compare how differently the two groups engage with the material. The study’s authors emphasized that higher synchronization can signal shared processing of the content, while deviations might point to individual differences in perception and interpretation.
Analysis of the EEG data revealed that both groups generally perceived the videos in a similar way, with brain activity showing little difference in synchronization levels. Yet, among the participants with lower media literacy and a lower tendency to engage in cognitive reflection, there was greater engagement and motivation to continue watching. These individuals were also more likely to adjust their views after viewing content related to conspiracy theories, indicating a susceptibility to changing opinions based on the presented material.
Overall, the findings suggest that media literacy can influence how information is processed and how readily beliefs shift in response to misinformation, though baseline neural responses to perceptual content may be broadly similar across groups. The study sheds light on how educational background and critical analysis skills can shape the interpretive process when people encounter questionable information and how this translates into engagement with media narratives. The researchers noted that further work could explore how these neural patterns relate to real-world decision making in media environments and the potential for media literacy programs to strengthen resilience against misinformation. The report from the Higher School of Economics highlighted the importance of continued investigation into how cognitive processes interact with educational experiences to influence perception and belief formation. It also pointed to the broader relevance of such findings for media literacy initiatives, public discourse, and information policy in North America and beyond. This line of inquiry offers a framework for understanding how audiences respond to misinformation in an era of rapid information exchange and helps illuminate paths for educational strategies and media literacy curricula across diverse populations.
Note: The content above reflects the core findings and aims of the study reported by the National Research University Higher School of Economics and is intended to inform discussions on media literacy and misinformation resilience within education and public policy contexts.