Thread by @FDehyd

@RonFilipkowski @rothschildmd @michaeldweiss @Shayan86

1).
„There are many possible explanations for why Americans voted for @realDonaldTrump in the primary and the general election:

2).
factors such as his perceived business acumen, his economic or immigration policies, or perhaps the fact that he was not a career politician increased his appeal. We cannot speak to these possibilities.

3).
This study illustrates that something other than veracity accounted for his success, as supporters did not change their voting intentions even if they altered their beliefs about the truth of his statements.

4).
If spreading falsehoods does not discredit character, it is perhaps not surprising that many individuals rallied behind him on election day.

5).
According to Ramsay et al., 91% of voters said that information in campaigns sometimes seemed misleading or false, yet struggled to pinpoint exactly what is fact and what is fiction.

6).
The real-world consequences of this study suggest that politicians can seemingly spread misinformation without dramatic negative consequences of losing supporters—the results of the 2016 Presidential election are consistent with this interpretation.

7).
It thus appears that it is possible to appeal through the art of rhetoric and demagoguery rather than necessitating cohesive arguments constructed of logic and fact.”

March 1, 2017

@royalsociety royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/4…

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