Formal Minimal and Maximal Definitions for Characterizing MDM

• In Event: Studying Deceptive Communication: An Integrative Approach to Misinformation Studies

Abstract

Since 2016, the field of misinformation studies has seen a rapid increase in interest and publications. However, this growth has been accompanied by significant criticisms regarding the field's ability to scientifically study misinformation. A notable issue is the lack of consensus on defining misinformation, including scope, a lack of cohesiveness, and differentiation. The replication crisis in the social sciences highlights the importance of clearly identified phenomena for reproducibility, adding urgency to these criticisms. This paper offers new minimal and maximal definitions of misinformation, aiming to address conceptual criticisms and organize research in a theoretically informed manner. We minimally define the field’s explicandum as a communicative act that generates perceived harm due to an error in the message. The maximal definition incorporates contextual factors such as the message provider, goals, strategies, and tactics to elucidate different levels of composition. 

Authors

• Sarah Bostrom, United States Air Force Academy

• Richard E. Niemeyer, United States Air Force Academy

• K. Ryan Proctor, Athena Institute of Mechanistic Science

• Melissa Howard, United States Air Force Academy

• Alexandra Mascher, United States Air Force Academy