Field Notes: Emotion versus evidence
The question.
How do we use the fact that emotions drive information-seeking behavior to deliver reliable information for critical decisions without resorting to emotional manipulation?
Why this matters.
The information environment contains three problems:
- Partisanship is baked into the creator economy;
- State and commercial actors spread deliberate disinformation campaigns that capitalize on emotion; and
- AI systems help generate even more convincing falsehoods at scale.
Most people lack the skills, time, and brain space to evaluate source credibility or identify manipulation techniques even with the best literacy training. Information overload further reduces their capacity to verify what they encounter.
What we're exploring.
Gazzetta's audience research with a partner organization (to be published soon) produced specific data: Test subjects were three times more likely to fact-check content that triggered anger compared to content that triggered skepticism. Fear responses produced similar fact-checking rates to anger. Neutral emotional states correlated with the lowest verification rates.
This creates a paradox: emotional activation drives verification behavior, but emotional content is also most likely to be misleading or manipulative.
Additional findings showed people evaluate credibility through social signals: shared group identity with the messenger, engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments), and parasocial relationships with content creators. These relational factors outweighed traditional credibility markers like institutional affiliation or credentials.
In our mission to deliver reliable information for critical decisions, we are confronted with the reality that there is more to equation than cold, hard facts presented in a credible manner from a trusted source.
More questions to consider.
- The anger-verification connection creates an arms race where misinformation benefits from emotional escalation. What alternative triggers for verification exist that don't require emotional manipulation?
- If audiences prioritize social proof over expertise, should journalism shift resources from investigative work to relationship-building with audiences? What are the trade-offs?
- Process transparency may backfire if people interpret methodology explanations as defensive or tedious. What level of detail optimizes trust without overwhelming?
- AI training currently optimizes for engagement metrics that favor emotional content. What alternative training signals could prioritize accuracy while maintaining reach?
We'd love to hear from you on these questions—especially if you have answers or ideas—or anything else. Don’t hesitate to get in touch at hello@gazzetta.xyz.