So Emotional? The Role of Emotions for Young Adults’ Resilience to Disinformation

The chaotic information environment during (poly)crises, marked by urgency and heightened emotions, complicates truth assessments and provides fertile ground for the proliferation of disinformation. While the role of emotions in shaping disinformation beliefs and sharing is widely acknowledged, there is little empirical evidence on how and under what circumstances emotions impact responses to disinformation. To provide an in-depth understanding, we applied a qualitative study design, conducting 29 semi-structured interviews between November 2022 and April 2023 with young adults in Germany and the Netherlands. Our study outlines the context in which specific emotions arise when individuals encounter potential disinformation, connected behaviors, and the consequences for resilience to disinformation. We find that emotions of positive valence, such as feeling calm and confident, are linked to verification behaviors and can indicate and reinforce resilience to disinformation. Contrary to existing research, we find that emotions of negative valence, such as anger or discontent, can also be signifiers of resilience when accompanied by critical information evaluations. However, the intensity of emotions matters, as strong negative emotions are linked to resignation, distrust in democratic institutions, and disinformation beliefs. Illustrating the interaction between emotions and behaviors when navigating disinformation, our study offers more contextual and nuanced insights into how emotions influence, express, and may strengthen or weaken resilience to disinformation.