Empathy vs Reluctance to Challenge Misinformation: The Mediating Role of Relationship Costs, Perspective Taking, and Need for Cognition

Misinformation can harm individuals and societies, with social media and online communities amplifying its reach and impact. One effective strategy to counteract the spread of misinformation online is social corrections, in which people on social media actively challenge others who post or spread it. People hesitate to do so for reasons related to empathy, fear of affecting their relationships, futility, and subjective norms. This research aims to explore the impact of empathy on individuals’ willingness to challenge misinformation. The research also investigates the mediation role of the personal factors of perspective-taking and the need for cognition, along with the perceived impacts on their relationships, on the relationship between empathy and the willingness to challenge. The data was collected from 250 UK-based social networking users and then analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results of the analysis supported that perspective-taking (β = 0.064, p = 0.011), the need for cognition (β = 0.022, p = 0.048), and perceived relationship costs (β = 0.035, p = 0.003) all fully mediated the impact of empathy on the willingness to challenge misinformation. The results also show that empathy does not have a direct impact on willingness to challenge misinformation. Individuals with varying levels of empathy converge in their attitudes toward challenging misinformation influenced by a combination of cognitive processes and considerations of their relationships.