Fighting false information, propaganda, open lies, rumors, misinformation, and disinformation by attacking it directly and challenging it is the dominant strategy for dealing with false beliefs (Lazer et al., 2018; Maseri et al., 2020; Van Bavel et al., 2021), and it is an important one. Refuting falsity is crucial. At the same time, there are…

Misinformation, or incorrect information, in all forms is a recent and widespread threat. While information literacy methods, such as the CRAAP method and the RADAR framework, more research is necessary to determine prevalence and effectiveness of these methods. In this mixed-methods survey, I evaluated Gen Z information seekers' experience with…

Misinformation is one society's most pressing issues, spreading division and chaos across the globe. Videogames have become one of the more promising mediums for misinformation interventions, teaching players common falsehood indicators and helping them develop their discernment abilities. This thesis details the design, playtesting, and…

This quantitative, correlational-predictive study applied standard multiple regression to determine if reflective-analytic cognitive style can predict media accuracy discernment in community college students recruited from two Pacific region colleges (N = 100). The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT), and a Media…

The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between age and media literacy for postsecondary civics students in the northeastern United States. This study was significant by the methodological, theoretical, and practical implications it presents for educational approaches in teaching media literacy to…

In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to be a public health emergency. More than 500 million cases and more than 6 million deaths have been reported, with these numbers growing each day. A major public health initiative for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic was vaccine development…

An analysis of misinformation, disinformation, perverse rhetorical devices, and the origin of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) controversy were presented, as well as the motivations of those most likely to share misinformation and crisis communication strategies. The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore Ohio Superintendents' levels of…

By utilizing a qualitative approach of educational criticism and connoisseurship, the purpose of this study was to explore the intentions and motivations, processes and strategies, and implications and outcomes of educational activists that work to expose and/or debunk a public instruction conspiracy theory. Data were collected through the…

The explosion of the Internet and prominence of social media platforms have created a dynamic online information ecosystem. The roles of traditional gatekeepers of credible information (e.g., news organizations) have been diminished, and individuals are often on their own in evaluating an abundance of information online coming from more sources…

Recently, the spread of false information has increased with a veracity that the World Economic Forum referred to as a global threat, with multiple scholars confirming this threat (Burmester & Howard, 2022; Howell, 2013; Saling et al., 2021; Salzman, 2022; Shearer & Mitchell,2021; Yaqub et al., 2022). The spread of false information…

Non-evidence-based practices (NEBPs) are interventions that have not been indicated by research to be effective in treating the core deficits of autism or the related behavioral challenges across developmental domains. Under the umbrella of NEBPs are the interventions for autism that are physically and/or emotionally harmful, as well as those that…

Since time immemorial, disasters have been part and parcel of the human experience; hence the ever-present need for disaster management. These disasters can take place everywhere and at any time, including institutions of higher education. The use of social media platforms as a tool for disaster management has gained traction in recent years due…

This non-experimental, correlational, quantitative study sought to identify possible relationships between educators' beliefs in neuromyths - misconceptions or misunderstandings about how people learn - and the frequency in which instructional practices are used in the classroom. The prevalence and pervasiveness of neuromyth beliefs are well…

This mixed methods investigation sought to explore the effectiveness of a stuttering training module with preservice teachers. Stigmatizing attitudes about people who stutter (PWS) have been found not only in society at large, but also in specific groups including teachers. Misinformation about stuttering in educators can render early experiences…

This dissertation explored how effectively first-year writing (FYW) evaluated and selected sources for their researched writing assignments. Though students were taught how to access sources from the library and offered sources on the course management system, most often they obtained sources via the open internet. As mis- and disinformation…