Using Emotions and Topics to Understand Online Misinformation

Misinformation has become one of the most pressing social issues in the twenty-first century. How the combinations of emotions and topics trigger the spread of misinformation, however, still remains to be revealed. This study comprehensively examines misinformation and its diffusion by correlating emotions and topics. First, we examine how specific emotions and topics are combined in misinformation. Second, we identify the effects of emotions and topics on the virality of misinformation. Finally, we further explore how to employ users’ topic preferences and emotion reactions to detect and analyze echo chambers in misinformation cascades. The findings can help construct a detailed and consistent understanding on misinformation diffusion in terms of emotions and topics. Potential practical implications are also provided to prevent the spread of misinformation online.