Correlations between the concepts of disinformation and Fogg’s Behavior Model

MURIEL-TORRADO, Enrique; PEREIRA, Danielle Borges

doi:10.1590/2318-0889202032e200026

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

THEMATIC SECTION: DATA AND INFORMATION IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS • Transinformação 32 • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0889202032e200026 copy

Correlations between the concepts of disinformation and Fogg’s Behavior Model

Correlações entre os conceitos de desinformação e o Modelo Comportamental de Fogg

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

As connectivity and interactions on the internet and social media grew easier, it made it possible for any individual to create and disseminate information or news as desired, which resulted in the growth of disinformation, leading to questions of how human beings can be manipulated by false information. The main objective of this research is to correlate the concepts of false news and misinformation with Fogg’s Behavior Model. By considering the correlation between the definitions and concepts applied by the selected bodies and institutions and the factors of Fogg’s Behavior Model, we conclude that all the definitions have aspects correlated with the factors raised by Fogg for the persuasion toward a desired behavior, thus showing how false information can be used to manipulate individuals who are likely to believe in a certain topic, those who do not have knowledge of verifiability procedures for misinformation or those who have already been affected by informational fatigue.

Keywords
Disinformation; Fake news; False information; Fogg’s behavior model

Organizations	Elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model	Correlations: definitions and elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model
Oxford Dictionary	Ability: Brain Cycles	The definition addresses public confusion, since it is common for the population to be unable to distinguish true and false news and identify the truth of news. This factor may be related to the element Ability: Brain Cycles, as it might require a lot of thinking in order to identify the truth of Information.
Oxford Dictionary	Ability: Social Deviance	Dealing with fake reporting, this concept is about the Social Deviance Ability, when the dissemination or creation of false information requires going against the norms and rules.
World Economic Forum	Motivation: Pleasure/Pain and Social Acceptance/Rejection	This definition informs that false news are published with the intent of exalting a certain point of view and they correlate to the Pleasure/Pain Motivation element that may address a determined subject that the users might possess predisposition to believe in. Also correlating to the Social Acceptance/Rejection Motivation element, since the users’ points of view are often related to their social behavior and their worries about being accepted or rejected in a certain social group.
	Ability: Time	Fake news direct the users to specific websites. This factor connects to the Time Ability element because if the user’s target behavior saves them time, this behavior is easier to happen (for example, reading the news with only a click).
	Trigger: Facilitator	This factor relates to the Trigger element. It facilitates user access to fake news with just one click, knowing that fake news direct users to specific websites.
	Trigger: Signal	This definition can be related to the element Trigger: Signal, as it can serve as a reminder of a subject from certain point of view, and it becomes more effective along with some element of motivation and ability.
Reuters	Motivation: Pleasure/Pain	This definition is related to the Motivation element: Pleasure/Pain and Hope/Fear when it comes to fake news, presenting partially from a discontent or hope of a specific scenario, generally involved with users’ beliefs and ideologies. For example, when an individual shares false information through the social media in defense of his or her political party, corresponds to behavior related to the person’s ideology.
Reuters	Trigger: Spark	The definition of fake news acknowledges news that bring discontentment from the perspective of a person and a specific scenario, and it also relates to the Trigger element: Spark. The user that sees fake news already has involvement with the topics and it only takes a spark for them to become more likely to believe in such information.

Organizations	Elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model	Correlations: definitions and elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model
Unesco	Motivation: Pleasure/Pain	The definition of misinformation as a piece of information intended to harm a person or a group is related to the elements of Motivation by Pleasure/Pain, as it tries to affect certain groups through their feelings, creating triggers for greater commotion.
Unesco	Trigger: Spark.	The Trigger as Spark is false information created to harm. When the trigger combined with the pleasure/pain element is projected, this factor can affect certain people or groups.
European Commission	Motivation: Social Acceptance/Rejection	These types of information preclude freedom of information and expression. That relates to element Motivation: Social Acceptance/Rejection. In this element, people are either ashamed (social rejection) of informing “news” that could be fake or feel the necessity of informing news, veracious or not, with the intent of being socially accepted.
	Ability: Brain Cycles	This definition can be associated with the Ability: Brain Cycles, meaning that the fact that ordinary people usually don’t have the habit of investigating information and news makes it difficult to access to true information.
	Ability: Time and Money	Generally, false information are of easy access and understanding. This factor can be related to the element Ability: Time and Money, since fake news often bring brief and free information.
	Ability: Social Deviance	By spreading false information that attack democracy, affecting the whole population, the definition relates to the element Ability: Social Deviance, which requires going against the norms and rules.
	Trigger: Facilitator	The definition of disinformation refers to the easily accessed and comprehended (easy language) false news that relate to the element Trigger: Facilitator, which aims to facilitate people’s access to information, its understanding, and even dissemination.

Organizations		Elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model		Correlations: definitions and elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model
Unesco		Motivation: Social Acceptance/Rejection		This definition can be related to the element Motivation: Social Acceptance/Rejection, as it deals with the necessity of either informing or believing something to be socially accepted, or failing to inform or believing in something for fear of social rejection.
Oxford Dictionary		Ability: Social Deviance		Misinformation’s definition deals with informing or reporting something wrong and it relates to the Social Deviance Ability element, as it requires going against society’s norms and rules.

Organizations	Elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model	Correlations: definitions and elements of the Fogg’s Behavior Model
Unesco	Ability: Social Deviance	This definition deals with true information that is stolen and spread, most of the times illegally, with the purpose of harming a person or group. This definition is related to element Ability: Social Deviance, that deals with behavior that goes against the standards and rules in order to cause damage.
Oxford Dictionary	Motivation: Pleasure/Pain and Hope/Fear	This definition relates to the Hope/Fear and Pleasure/Pain from the Ability element, as it involves people’s feelings and beliefs, granting them superior importance than of the facts.
Oxford Dictionary	Trigger: Spark	Relating to Trigger: Spark, the definition acknowledges that when people believe in certain things, they are more likely to believe information. Thus, when a Spark of grand commotion arises regarding a certain subject, it makes it more relevant for them and people respond to their feelings and beliefs more than to the facts.

Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas Núcleo de Editoração SBI - Campus II - Av. John Boyd Dunlop, s/n. - Prédio de Odontologia, Jd. Ipaussurama - 13059-900 - Campinas - SP, Tel.: +55 19 3343-6875 - Campinas - SP - Brazil
E-mail: transinfo@puc-campinas.edu.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Correspondência para/Correspondence to: E. MURIEL-TORRADO. E-mail: enrique.muriel@ufsc.br>.