Can warnings curb the spread of fake news? The interplay between warning, trust and confirmation bias

Despite attempts by social media companies to curb the spread of fake news with warnings flagging news credibility, the effectiveness of such measures remains unclear. Through the lens of the cognitive dissonance theory and individuals’ trust in the news, this study develops a theoretical model that explains why and how warnings affect an individual’s intention to share fake news. The study empirically assesses the predicted relationships using...