When an individual is shown fact-checked information that has been labeled false but later only recalls the misinformation, forgetting the origin of the information and that it had been labeled false. This deficit occurs more often in older adults.

Source Memory Deficit

Older and younger adults are influenced by the illusory truth effect to the same degree. However, those with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia are usually less influenced by repetition.

Age and the Illusory Truth Effect

Several studies have demonstrated that older adults are superior at distinguishing real from fake headlines compared to their younger counterparts. 

Age and Ability to Distinguish Real and Fake Headlines

Some have suggested that older adults engage with more fake news due to decreased episodic memory and abstract reasoning as well as source memory deficits.
However, older adults also have some strengths that may make them resistant to the illusory truth effect and better at differentiating real and fake news headlines.

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- Cognitive declines
- Social changes
- Digital illiteracy

Theories for Why Older Adults Engage with More Fake News

Brashier, N. M., & Schacter, D. L. (2020). Aging in an Era of Fake News. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(3), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721420915872

Aging in an Era of Fake News

The Cognitive Decline Theory for Increased Engagement with Fake News Later in Life

Older adults tend to have greater interpersonal trust and smaller social groups on average. These factors may put them at greater risk to overestimate the trustworthiness of a source.

The Social Change Theory for Increased Engagement with Fake News Later in Life

Older adults tend to be less familiar with online spaces which may make them more susceptible to clickbait and internet hoaxes and make it more difficult for them to recognize manipulated images or sponsored content.

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