Emotional Contagion: Theorising the Role of Affect in COVID-19 Information Disorder
In this paper, we investigate the underexplored emotional drivers of information disorder, with a particular focus on how it manifested in COVID-19 misinformation in India. While "fake news" has received considerable attention for its impact on elections, marginalized communities, and public health, mainstream information disorder research does not sufficiently prioritise the underlying psychological factors that influence information trust.
By incorporating theoretical frameworks from psychology, sociology, and communication studies, we reveal the complex foundations of both the creation and consumption of misinformation. From this research, fear emerged as the predominant emotional driver in both the creation and consumption of misinformation, demonstrating how negative affective responses frequently override rational analysis during crises. Our findings suggest that effective interventions must address these affective dimensions through tailored digital literacy programs, diversified information sources on online platforms, and expanded multimodal misinformation research opportunities in India.
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