The role of individuals' system level emotions in evaluating fake news

Fake news studies in the psychology literature focus on "Why individuals believe fake news?" and "Why they share fake news?" questions. Fake news studies are examined under two headings, cognitive-based and social-based, in terms of the way they deal with the subject. The aim of the research is to compare the cognitive level investigations on fake news with a social level examination. In this framework, data on cognitive reflection and need for cognition, which are commonly used in other studies, as well as data on political ideologies, system justification tendencies, and system-level emotions were collected from the participants. While statistical analysis results did not show significant relationships between cognitive reflection and need for cognition variables and news evaluation and sharing; political ideologies, system justification tendencies, and system-level emotions were found to be significantly correlated with fake news evaluations. When individuals have right-conservative ideology, high system justification tendencies, and positive emotions at the system level, they evaluated news in a system-protective way (pro-system news as real, anti-system fake news as fake). However, when they have a left-liberal ideology, low system justification tendency, and had negative feelings at the system level, they evaluated the news critically (pro-system news as fake, anti-system fake news as real). Analyzes using hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling pointed to the prominent role of system-level emotions in news evaluations. The results of the study indicate that social motivations and emotions play a decisive role in fake news evaluations. The findings were handled and discussed within the framework of factors such as the trivalization of truth, political polarization, decrease in institutional trust, and change in the ground of the media through the definition of post-truth.