A MEME’S ROLE IN INFORMATION DISORDER CAMPAIGNS: DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT THAT DRAWS CORRELATIONS BETWEEN AGE, EDUCATION LEVEL AND GENDER, AND PARTICIPANT WILLINGNESS TO INTERACT WITH FALSE INFORMATION
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Authors
Cisewski, Katherine A.
Subjects
human-machine interaction
information warfare
information sciences
information warfare
information sciences
Advisors
Iatrou, Steven J.
Canan, Anthony
Date of Issue
2021-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The use of social media has been growing every year since its inception. With that, individuals, organizations, businesses, and nations have created clever ways to spread messages to large audiences; however, in the last decade, those same entities have begun utilizing social media to spread false narratives that fit their agenda. Using Tweets and memes, non-state and state actors have successfully influenced elections, incited riots, and increased membership. Current academic research does not describe who is most susceptible to this new type of information disorder. For that reason, the experiment detailed in this thesis was designed to aid information environment researchers in identifying groups that are most susceptible to information disorder; when conducted, it will reveal correlations between the acceptance and propagation of false information spread through Tweets and memes and the age group, gender, and education level of those most likely to interact with the false information. Once complete, defensive and offensive measures can be put in place by individuals, organizations, businesses, and nations to defend or attack the most at-risk groups.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Information Sciences (IS), Graduate School of Defense Management (GSDM)
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Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.