Judging scientific information: Does source evaluation prevent the seductive effect of text easiness?

摘要: Abstract Although nonexperts usually lack sufficient topic knowledge and experience, they can be “seduced” into relying on their direct evaluation of scientific content, particularly when encountering information that is relatively easy to comprehend. Two experimental studies tested whether this easiness effect prevented if readers lean evaluations source credibility instead. In both studies, medical read Internet texts about different health topics evaluated the contained claims. The were either more comprehensible or less comprehensible, supposedly authored by a credible source. Experiment 1 demonstrated (i.e., 48 undergraduate students) agreed strongly confidently with claims from compared However, influence did not prevent effect: Participants also texts. same pattern results emerged in 2 (with 53 students), where was manipulated strongly. had greater nonexperts’ claim judgment than 1, still Results suggest are sufficiently aware relative importance evaluation, which may increase susceptibility misinformation.