A Systematic Review of Third-Person Effect in the Context of Misinformation and Disinformation: Synthesizing the Effect and Theoretical Implications

The rapidly expanding research area of fake news has garnered increasing attention but risks fragmentation across disciplines. This systematic review offers a new perspective by focusing on studies that test the third-person effect in the context of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news. Analyzing 39 selected articles, the review identifies media engagement, fake news exposure, and efficacy beliefs as the most commonly studied antecedents influencing the third-person effect. Additionally, policy support, including restrictions and media literacy initiatives, emerges as the most extensively studied consequence. Despite ongoing ambiguity in defining and classifying fake news, there are positive signs of progress in the field.