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Sharing makes us feel knowledgeable (even if we haven’t read it)

  • by Maddy Morton
  • on January 12, 2023

This is such an interesting (and frankly rather scary) finding, pertinent both to social media behaviour and how we better manage focus groups.

Apparently, sharing an article even without reading it still makes us feel more knowledgeable.

This helps us understand more about the strange things that can happen online during elections and pandemics, for example, and the ‘hit’ that comes with sharing on LinkedIn (see what we did there?).
 
In an insight setting, it reminds us of the need clearly to differentiate between what people say they know and what they actually know – which is why it’s so important to explore things in more indirect, more creative ways than just asking outright.
 
(And just so you know, we HAVE read the article. Promise ???? )

https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/sharing-article-makes-us-feel-more-knowledgeable-even-if-we-havent-read-it

Maddy Morton
Maddy Morton

Maddy is Director of Lucid. She has been described as a ‘maestra’ with groups of people and is appreciated for her passion and commitment as well as the clarity of her strategic thinking, insight and expression. Maddy began her career in advertising at Ogilvy and BBH and then worked at the Arts Council, English National Opera, AEA consulting and Stimulating World Research before setting up Lucid.

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