Replication Data for: The Religious Roots of Belief in Misinformation: Experimental Evidence from India

Misinformation has emerged as a key threat worldwide, with scholars frequently highlighting the role of partisan motivated reasoning in misinformation belief. Yet the mechanisms enabling the endorsement of misinformation may differ in contexts where other identities are salient. This study explores whether religion drives the endorsement of misinformation in India. Using original data, we first show that individuals with high levels of religiosity and religious polarization endorse significantly higher levels of misinformation. Next, to understand the causal mechanisms through which religion operates, we field an experiment where corrections rely on religious messaging, and/or manipulate perceptions of religious ingroup identity. We find that corrections including religious frames (1) reduce the endorsement of misinformation; (2) are sometimes more effective than standard corrections; and (3) work beyond the specific story corrected. These findings highlight the religious roots of belief formation and provide hope that social identities can be marshaled to counter misinformation.

虚假信息已成为全球面临的关键威胁，学者们时常强调党派性动机推理(partisan motivated reasoning)在个体采信虚假信息过程中的作用。然而，在其他身份认同凸显的情境中，驱动个体采信虚假信息的内在机制或存在差异。本研究聚焦印度，旨在探究宗教是否会推动个体对虚假信息的采信。借助原创调研数据，我们首先证实：宗教虔诚度(religiosity)较高且存在宗教极化(religious polarization)倾向的个体，其对虚假信息的采信程度显著更高。为厘清宗教发挥作用的因果机制，我们开展了一项实地实验：实验中辟谣信息依托宗教讯息(religious messaging)构建，且/或对宗教内群体身份认同(religious ingroup identity)的感知进行操控。研究发现，搭载宗教框架(religious frames)的辟谣信息具备三项优势：（1）可降低个体对虚假信息的采信程度；（2）有时较标准辟谣信息(standard corrections)的干预效果更优；（3）其作用范围不限于被直接辟谣的特定事件。上述研究结果凸显了信念形成(belief formation)过程中的宗教根源，同时也为通过调动社会身份认同来抵御虚假信息提供了可行路径。