2026-10-14T04:39:46Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34034400 2026-09-30T17:24:39Z category_24 category_45 category_734 category_931 category_106 portal_5 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

<p>Supplementary appendix.</p> Qin Li (36669) Robert M. Bond (11731430) Erik Nisbet (25145019) Graham Dixon (6081452) Shelly Hovick (18479407) Kilhoe Na (14426334) Duane Wegener (25145022) R. Kelly Garrett (4442779) Evolutionary Biology Sociology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Information Systems not elsewhere classified Science Policy strongest empirical test statistically significant decline regression models show americans ’ ability social media use online tracking data div >< p providing additional evidence misperceptions </ p social bots n </ data come strong association reinforce biases promote falsehoods project offers panel studies one focused minimal effects limited role limited effects false claims 2020 election 19 pandemic <div><p>Social media use has the potential to promote misperceptions, but evidence is mixed. Despite social media characteristics that include homophilous social networks, algorithms that can reinforce biases, and social bots that promote falsehoods, there is no evidence of a strong association between social media use and misperceptions. This project offers the strongest empirical test of this relation to date, providing additional evidence of the minimal effects of social media use on misperceptions. Data come from two independent large-<i>N</i> panel studies, each paired with online tracking data, one focused on the 2020 election and the other on the COVID-19 pandemic. Within-between regression models show that social media use was not associated with a statistically significant decline in Americans’ ability to discriminate between true and false claims on any of the four platforms examined—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.</p></div> 2026-09-30T17:24:37Z Text Journal contribution 10.1371/journal.pone.0354486.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/_p_Supplementary_appendix_p_/34034400 CC BY 4.0