Concept

Linguistic Characteristics of Misinformation: Uncertainty Words

Uncertainty words are prevalent in misinformation posts. They can make a post look more trustworthy and relatable, and therefore more acceptable to share. This could be because sharing the uncertain post does not force the user to accept responsibility, should the claim be false.

  • Examples: someone, sometimes, possibly, appears to be, others may say, etc.

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Updated 2021-08-18

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Psychology

Social Science

Empirical Science

Science