Grant awarded to NMSU professors for misinformation research

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to New Mexico State University (NMSU) researchers.

The grant will fund research about public health messages and misinformation.

The research team includes:

• Marshall A. Taylor, an associate professor of sociology and the project’s principal investigator
• Heather Harper, an assistant professor of sociology
• Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health sciences

“Studies show that institutional trust is a core factor behind whether or not an organization can influence individual behavior,” Taylor said. “At its core, this project is an examination of how volatility in public health agency messaging might, or might not, erode trust and lead to disconcerting behavioral responses – namely, spreading misinformation or refusing to follow public health guidelines.”

While exploring the topic, the researchers will try to measure how consistency within federal and state agencies impacts information released and shared on social media.

The grant is $620,095 and is sourced from the NSF’s Sociology Program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Collaborations, the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program, and the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.

“This grant will also fund multiple graduate students here at NMSU and provide critical research training that students can take to the public, private, or academic sector,” said Harper. Those students will get full tuition, a 12-month stipend, and benefits for three years.

Read the full release from NMSU by clicking here.

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