On 15 January, from 16:15 to 17:45, Vilma Luoma-aho, Professor of Corporate Communication at the University of Jyväskylä, will give a public lecture "Cognitive Biases as Vulnerabilities for Misinformation", in Room 205 at Lossi 36 and in Zoom.
Misinformation has always existed, but now thanks to developments in new technology such as machine learning and large language models, false information appears very realistic and spreads faster than before. Misinformation does not always directly attack democracy, but often eats away trust in individuals and institutions that are vital for societies and democracy, such as elected leaders or public authorities in charge of citizen safety? Cognitive biases are thought related biases in thinking of individuals. Cognitive biases often work through ignorance in understanding their impact, and they may lead individuals to reject advice and help intended to support decision making. This lecture will describe the less studied side of information influence attempts: the thoughts of the individuals targeted. We ask: which factors in the attitudes and thoughts of the target make them vulnerable for influence? Findings suggest many cognitive biases are interrelated, but the most studied is confirmation bias. Cognitive biases also impact the perception of misinformation, so understanding their impact is of central importance for safety and security.
Dr. Vilma Luoma-aho is professor of Corporate Communication and Vice Dean in charge of Education at School of Business & Economics, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. Luoma-aho has published several books and articles in leading communication journals on digital stakeholders and new forms of influence, and serves on the board of trustees of Arthur W. Page Society (New York), an elite community of world's leading communicators. Known for her engaging content, she teaches university and executive education programmes in Finland, Norway and Germany, and consults organizations across sectors on meeting the new expectations of digital stakeholders. In Finland, she chairs the social science division of MATINE under the Ministry of Defense, and studies the hijacking of authority communication. Her current project AIDEMOC funded by Finnish Research Council’s Strategic Research Funding focuses on misinformation and the malicious use of AI to harm democracy.