Information influence lab aims to strengthen resilience

How can we become better at recognising and resisting misleading information? The new Information Influence Lab website makes research on information influence accessible to a wider audience. The initiative is led by researchers at the Swedish Defence University.

Information influence by foreign powers can be used to mislead, create divisions and erode trust in society’s institutions. At the same time, it is not always easy to determine what constitutes an attempt to exert influence, or which methods actually make us more resilient.

The new website The Information Influence Lab brings together and explains research in the field. The website is part of the Information Influence Lab research project at the Swedish Defence University, led by Charlotte Wagnsson, Professor of Political Science.

“We want to make research on information influence understandable and useful beyond academia. The more we understand about how misleading messages work and why they gain traction, the better equipped we are to resist them”, says Charlotte Wagnsson.

Research for a wider audience

The Information Influence Lab is a pilot project aimed at strengthening society’s resilience to harmful information influence. Among other things, the researchers are studying how misleading narratives are constructed, which individuals and groups are more vulnerable to them, and which countermeasures are effective.

The website is a central part of the project. It will present research-based knowledge in accessible formats, including articles and videos. The aim is to put the research to practical use and reach audiences beyond researchers and experts.

“Research can provide us with tools to better assess the information we encounter every day. Through the Influence Lab, we want to bridge the gap between research and the people who actually encounter these messages in their feeds”, says Aino Lilja Pettersson, Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science at the Swedish Defence University and a member of the project team.

A platform for research

The website is not only intended to disseminate knowledge. It will also serve as a testing environment in which researchers can investigate which methods are most effective at strengthening people’s resilience to information influence.

Previous research at the Swedish Defence University shows that education about disinformation and source criticism can improve people’s ability to identify false information. At the same time, countermeasures need to be carefully designed. An excessive focus on disinformation, for example, can lead people to become sceptical even of reliable media.

“The aim is not for people to become suspicious of all information. On the contrary, we need to find ways of strengthening critical thinking without simultaneously undermining trust in credible sources. The Information Influence Lab can help us investigate what actually works”, says Aino Lilja Pettersson.

Knowledge that strengthens democracy

The project is based on the premise that a functioning democracy depends on people being able to navigate the information environment and make decisions on the basis of reliable knowledge.

Through the Influence Lab, the researchers aim both to increase awareness of the threats and to develop methods for addressing them.

“Ultimately, information influence is about democracy and security. Strengthening people’s ability to recognise attempts at manipulation is therefore an important part of building a more resilient society”, says Charlotte Wagnsson.