Cognitive, psychological, and pharmacological correlates of susceptibility to (mis)information: Why we believe and how we resist

Misinformation is not a new challenge, but in the digital age, it spreads faster and reaches further than ever before, engaging a complex interplay of cognitive, psychological, and neurobiological mechanisms. This review explores how cognitive factors, personality traits, and environmental influences shape the way people engage with information. It is a narrative review that synthesizes the authors’ previously published empirical work, extended and contextualized in light of relevant findings from the broader literature. Consequently, we present an emerging four-phenotype model of misinformation susceptibility (Consumers, Doubters, Knowers, Duffers), highlighting distinct cognitive, psychological and behavioral profiles. Beyond cognition and psychology, we describe the neurobiological underpinnings of misinformation engagement, including recent findings that serotonergic modulation via selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can influence digital behavior without impairing truth discernment. We also evaluate strategies designed to counter misinformation, from cognitive debiasing techniques to interventions that reshape online environments. Finally, we propose future research directions, integrating psychiatry, neuroscience, and behavioral sciences to refine misinformation resistance strategies and explore its potential classification as a psychiatric phenomenon.