I wish it would have told me which one I got wrong.

It was more challenging than I expected

On the website.

I swear it's the same answers. Maybe I checked the wrong box and meant to check another one.?

I must have accidentally marked the wrong column on one of them.

Comparing my answers to yours, I got 19/20 correct.

I would have to say a lot of the questions have little or nothing to do with my exposure to disinformation; I would be just making a guess as I’ve heard nothing one way or another about the topic. Eye colour and intelligence? Could be, sounds unlikely. Hyatt removing small bottles? I doubt it, but they might have made them on-demand only to save money and wastage. US counties becoming majority non-white? On one hand, could be a GOP scare tactic (looking at YOU, JD), on the other, demographics are changing. What do I know about US counties?

Some of the questions are obviously conspiracy theorists talking points, but I’d say a good third are just questions I don’t really know the answer to…

It is to save wastage. They are using large locked-in multiple use bottles.

Re US counties becoming majority non-white - that's been a trend for at least a decade. Sometimes it's described as becoming majority minority, and a reason people have been predicting the end of the Republican party. (The entire use will be majority minority in around 2 decades.)

Eye color is probably a reference to two things: The Aryan norm, and the classroom experiment that instructed children to shun (IIRC) brown-eyed children

but my point was, while taking the test I had not really heard anything about any of these stories, so I don’t see how it would be showing my susceptibility to disinformation. Unlike, for example, the question about chemicals and poisons in vaccines, which obviously is a conspiracy theory, on those three particular questions I had not heard or read anything and just had to guess whether it was true or not. Or, more to the point, did this particular question “sound” like something that people would be spreading as disinformation.

Exposure to relatively non-biased, in-depth news stories likely makes one more discerning/less susceptible to fake news. I used to read the newspaper daily before heading off to work. We no longer get the newspaper, so I have far less exposure than over my lifetime - but that lifetime of exposure had given me pretty good radar for identifying fake news. That lack of in-depth daily exposure is countered, to some extent, by the easy ability to use the internet to fact-check suspicious stories.

But even with less exposure, the only story I hadn't heard anything about was the King of Morocco question. I scored 20/20 - and I spend a fair amount of time on DU recognizing and debunking fake/misleading news that people have been posting as if it was the truth.
So I think there is a connection between exposure to breadth and depth of unbiased news and susceptibility to fake news.

In reality I have no clue about the veracity of most of those headlines.

🤔

It helped me see which question I got wrong. I wasn't sure about the answer .....it's the one regarding America being less respected globally. I thought that TSF had ruined our reputation beyond repair. Glad to see that I was wrong on this one!

Some are the same but there are different ones in there. Also the Real and Fake buttons on my list were reversed. Real on the left and Fake on the right.

I got 17/20. Not bad really, but honestly thought I would do better.

some eye colors have higher intelligence.

Snip: There is some evidence that people with blue eyes may be more intelligent, but there is no scientific consensus to support this claim:
A University of Louisville study found that people with blue eyes may be more studious, strategic, and focused than people with brown eyes. The study also found that people with blue eyes may perform better on exams.
A University of Louisville paper found that people with light eyes may perform better at behaviors that require delay, self-pacing, and non-reacting.

I'm wondering if that is one that I missed. If I missed it then I'm not sure it's a good question since there are several studies that suggest this.

In addition to your concern, I think the quiz could be criticized that it could be measuring lack of exposure to certain info and doesn’t allow “don’t know” as an option. For example, if you never heard about the King of Morocco’s action or that some hotel chains are discontinuing the little bottles (or don’t stay at those hotels these days), it’s not that you are resistant to the truth or that you accept misinfo, it’s that you just haven’t come across that bit of info.

The ones I stay at haven't changed in that regard.

It does kinda seem fake, but it isn't.

Everyone was exposed to every bit of info and remembered it.

It would take numerous studies. If the question states SOME studies show a correlation between eye color and intelligence, then it would be real. I had also read something similar.

I have blue eyes. LOL

Pretty interesting. Thanks.☺️

I was waffling on the one (I think) I got wrong...

🎉 Congratulations!
You're more resilient to misinformation than 96% of the US population!

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 20/20

I admit I cheated on one because it was SO obscure (question about the King of Morocco doing something). I suspected (correct answer) and looked it up and confirmed that . So I think I deserve the 100%

Be nice if they'd bump up their server's CPU and memory config that's for sure. Slowest site I've seen in years. But still a good test.

I decided not to cheat - so I just made what seemed to me about the most logical answer.

Hey technically the rules didn't say you couldn't look anything up I only did on that one, and like I say I was going to put (correct answer) if I guessed.

Sometimes I put what I would have answered; sometimes I change my answer.

But here I was curious about the tool here, so I didn't. I'm still not sure why they included that obscure question, in terms of the overall summation of the quiz.

That's because we are bombarded with so much info that we don't have time to fact check everything that comes our way.

It also seemed logical to me.

For instance "CLEAR relationship about eye color and intelligence." The word CLEAR stood out to me as fake. If it had said "possible", then I would have had a harder time with it.

I was unsure about a couple.

Well I have seen CNN and Fox so yes, I think I am a bit skeptical, thank you.

I think most DUers would do well.

Apparently I got the Hyatt one wrong. I tried to use common sense - I'm wondering what the alternative is? Big bottles where all guests use the same bottle and you don't know if the contents have been tampered with? 🤔

...how "well indoctrinated" you were.

Interesting.

🎉 Congratulations!
📈 Your MIST-16 results: 16/16
Veracity Discernment: 100.0% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 100.0% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100.0% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: 0 (ranges from -8 to +8, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You are neither too skeptical nor too gullible when it comes to the news.

I didn’t think I would get 100%.

Distrust/Naivite 0

Amazing. I guessed at two. Just said they should be correct. LOL.

why don't they tell you which one(s) you got wrong?

Went back and too the 16 and got 16/16

I'm not sure how well that translated to success in the "real world."

Sometimes it's a bad idea to say the first thing that pops into your head even if it's true.

I've got a knife scar on my arm that reminds me of that.

Three were only two I wasn't completely certain of - one based on ambiguous wording (better/worse - but with no time frame (i.e. better or worse compared to when?)), one because it was a news issue I hadn't heard of.

Had a couple of wild-assed guesses

Yeah, I was given grief for being a skeptic. Nice to know it’s a desired trait!

was my only option.

I couldn't get it to load and gave up

Slightly too trusting of the news…

Your MIST-20 results: 19/20
Veracity Discernment: 90% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 90% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -1 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.

👍 Good try!
You're more resilient to misinformation than 44% of the US population!

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 14/20
Veracity Discernment: 40% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 40% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -6 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is good! You might be very skeptical when it comes to the news.

Just wait until AI really gets in the game, though.

I did guess on a couple.

Congratulations!
📈 Your MIST-16 results: 16/16

Veracity Discernment: 100.0% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 100.0% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100.0% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: 0 (ranges from -8 to +8, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You are neither too skeptical nor too gullible when it comes to the news.

16/16

...because I was just guessing at a couple that sounded fake-ish but weren't totally impossible to be true, or sounded true but I'd never heard about one way or another.

Wish it told me which I missed.

.
🎉 Congratulations!
You're more resilient to misinformation than 89% of the US population!

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 19/20
Veracity Discernment: 90% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 90% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -1 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.

Trump even became president. Had they asked if the US was more trusted internationally since we threw Trump out, I would have answered yes.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the one we missed most.

Largely because it was ambiguous. More/Less compared to when? Historically? Last year? A decade? The answer would have changed, depending on time. US is probably more trusted the last 3 years (because of Biden's leadership), less compared to a decade ago (because we elected Trump once, and are close to electing him again).

Less trusted is the answer they were looking for (I only know since I got them all right).

The entire chain has gotten rid of single-use bottles. They now have multi-use dispensers in the shower stalls for shampoo and conditioner.

It was in a rehabbed building, so it's newer. They had multi-use. Their website says they're part of Holiday Inn.

We also stayed at chain motel and they still had little bottles. (Americann Inn)

However, when I read about the little bottles thing, I assumed they would stop supplying toiletries altogether.

but I recognized that they were talking about replacement with multi-use bottles, rather than doing away with the bottles.

There's a growing awareness of microplastics invading everything, so it's an easy (and less expensive) way for hotels to brag about doing something to address a problem. I have encountered the multiple use bottles at least twice in the last 2 years, so even if I hadn't been specifically aware of Hyatt's change in policy, that encounter (coupled with the concern about microplastics) would have pointed me at the correct choice.

I took it to mean under Biden.

When the question is ambiguous, both answers are correct based on how the ambiguity is resolved.

That's the one I missed. I said it was fake because it's what DT says all the time! Don't tell me he's right about something. I need some context, people.

Remember your answers you can compare them.

I got 20/20 so was thinking of others who were wondering which they got wrong.

100% on fake news detection
80% on real news detection
A bit skeptical of the news.

I would think that DUers would probably do pretty well on a test like this, especially on spotting fake news. It’s a pretty well informed group here.

There were seven of them that I was not sure about, so I made educated guesses on those. I don't know anything about Morocco's king or that country, for example, so my response to that one was a guess. I just went with my instincts. So getting all of them right seems improbable to me. It would be like tossing a coin seven times and it coming up heads every time. Statistically improbable. Although, my guesses were probably better than 50-50 chances, because, as I said, I trusted my instincts. Still, it surprises me that I got ALL of them right.

-- Ron

👍 Good try!
You're more resilient to misinformation than 53% of the US population!

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 15/20
Veracity Discernment: 50% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 70% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 80% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -1 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is good! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.


I had no idea if Morocco even had a king and if so whether they would be likely to take an action like that.

I got the Trump one wrong because I thought (wrongly) that Republicans are rarely divided on Trump.

The govt officials trying to manipulating stock prices one confused me because I don’t have a US or EU centric perspective. That did sound like a headline that is plausible in some parts of the world with overtly corrupt governments. However, maybe it would also be unlikely to get press coverage in those parts.

I got the attitudes towards EU one wrong because my stereotype of Europeans is that they are generally unenthusiastic about everything including themselves ;-/.

One of the 5 I got wrong was a simple click error. These are the four where I really didn’t know.

I said Morocco's king did not appoint committee chief to fight poverty and inequality. If Reuters is to be believed, they did just that. I think that was the question I debated about the most. On the side of Real is the argument, why would anyone bother with fake news like this? On the Fake side was the totally ignorant and prejudicial assumption that a middle east country probably wouldn't do this.

I was very surprised at the score. I struggled over a good half dozen questions.

I did take screen shots if anyone has specific questions.

You sound like a skeptical person, and that's a good trait to have in these times.

This test blurs the difference between believing conspiracy theories and having rational skepticism.

That is very kind of you. I too think individual performances on tests like these are not necessarily hard metrics of people’s susceptibility to misinfo -at least not under all circumstances.

Interestingly their results indicate that age is a factor. On this test older adults did better. Gen Z and millennials were the worst performers. I am Gen X whereas DU mostly consists of boomers. To that extent it tracks with their findings.

I was hoping for a response something like “Damn! You really are suspicious and cynical, aren’t you?”

I got 18/20 overall. I was distressed to find that my score was better than 81% of the population, though.

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 19/20

Veracity Discernment: 90% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 90% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: +1 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit trusting when it comes to the news.

I know which one I got wrong. The Hyatt bottle question.

Snip:

There is some evidence that people with blue eyes may be more intelligent, but there is no scientific consensus to support this claim:
A University of Louisville study found that people with blue eyes may be more studious, strategic, and focused than people with brown eyes. The study also found that people with blue eyes may perform better on exams.
A University of Louisville paper found that people with light eyes may perform better at behaviors that require delay, self-pacing, and non-reacting.

That better explains the results than eye color does.

Wish they gave the answers, but if I had to guess which one I missed, it was probably the on about Morocco king and DEI.

Can't be TOO careful, these days.

Then I made sure that I answered all the questions - several times.
It still won't accept my answers.

Did I break the study?

eta:
🎉 Congratulations!

You're more resilient to misinformation than 89% of the US population!
📈 Your MIST-20 results: 19/20

Veracity Discernment: 90% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 90% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -1 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.

-1 on the d/n.

Though I haven't even gotten to the questions.

We are a pretty well informed group after all.

Congratulations!

You're more resilient to misinformation than 71% of the US population!
📈 Your MIST-20 results: 17/20

Veracity Discernment: 70% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 70% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -3 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.

I was fairly certain of my other responses.

You're more resilient to misinformation than 71% of the US population!

📈 Your MIST-20 results: 17/20
Veracity Discernment: 70% (ability to accurately distinguish real news from fake news)

Real News Detection: 70% (ability to correctly identify real news)

Fake News Detection: 100% (ability to correctly identify fake news)

Distrust/Naïvité: -3 (ranges from -10 to +10, overly skeptical to overly gullible)

👉 Your ability to recognize real and fake news is great! You might be a bit skeptical when it comes to the news.

Wish I knew which one I got wrong. It might have been the one about counties becoming majority non- white. I voted true for that.