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Alternative SoMe algorithms can help users form more accurate and less polarized beliefs

Phys · · 908 words · By University
Algorithmic Bias Social media regulation Political polarization

The article discusses a study from the University of Copenhagen regarding the impact of social media algorithms on political polarization and factual accuracy. It compares engagement-based ranking with bridging-based and intelligence-based alternatives, suggesting that different curation methods can either increase or decrease user polarization.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-alternative-algorithms-users-accurate-polarized.ht…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 7
schedule Pending 2
verified Verified 1
check_circle Corroborated 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
“a new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that simple changes to how posts are sorted in our feed can increase consensus and factual understanding among users”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in one web search result ('Alternative SoMe algorithms can help users form more accurate and...'), but no other independent news sources or authoritative references corroborate the specific study's findings.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Copenhagen University Library (Danish: Københavns Universitetsbibliotek) in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the main research library of the University of Copenhagen. Founded in 1482, it is the oldest lib…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_University_Library
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The IT University of Copenhagen (ITU; Danish: IT-Universitetet i København) is a public university and research institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is specialized in the multidisciplinary study of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IT_University_of_Copenhagen
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Universitet, abbr. KU) is a public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest unive…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Copenhagen
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“In a new study published in the Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Dresden University of Technology, and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development demonstrate that even minimal changes to the algorithms that sort content for users can shift both the degree of polarization in groups and the accuracy of their assessments of reality.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific details regarding the 2026 CHI Conference and the collaboration between the University of Copenhagen, Dresden University of Technology, and Max Planck Institute are found in only one web search result. No other independent sources confirm this specific publication or study.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 772 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and 527 of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Technical University of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet), often simply referred to as DTU, is a polytechnic university and school of engineering. It was founded in 1829 at the initi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_University_of_Denmar…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Technische Universität Darmstadt (official English name Technical University of Darmstadt, sometimes also referred to as Darmstadt University of Technology), commonly known as TU Darmstadt, is a p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technische_Universität_Darmsta…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Jason William Burton, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology and the Center for Social Data Science, and lead author of the study”
VERIFIED
The identity and role of Jason William Burton as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology and the Center for Social Data Science are confirmed by both the study report and the official University of Copenhagen academic staff page.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Silent Witness is a British television drama. The following is a list of all episodes that have been broadcast across all television series, since the series began on 21 February 1996. The first seven…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Silent_Witness_episode…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — X-Men is an American superhero film series based on the Marvel Comics X-Men comic book franchise. The series began with the release of the first X-Men movie in 2000. This film would be followed by X2 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_X-Men_film_series_char…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Silent Witness is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Witness
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“Most major social media platforms rank content based on engagement, such as likes, reactions, or shares.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that social media platforms use engagement metrics for ranking is supported by the study report and a separate web search result detailing how platforms combine inputs like past behavior and explicit feedback to rank content.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Most major social media platforms rank content based on engagement, such as likes, reactions, or shares. The new study suggests that while this approach gives users content they find appealing, it may…
https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2026/05/alternative-social-media…
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web search NEUTRAL — Top 24 social media apps and platforms for 2026. We've ranked this list by monthly active users (MAUs) — basically, how many people use the platform each month.
https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-platforms/
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web search NEUTRAL — Platforms combine many inputs to rank content: your past behavior, the behavior of similar users, content attributes, recency, creator relationship, session context, and explicit feedback. They work w…
https://inviziogram.com/blog/what-social-media-platforms-kno…
info
“a personalized, engagement-based ranking algorithm similar to those used by platforms like Facebook and X led participants to form more polarized and less accurate beliefs than any other algorithm tested.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific finding that engagement-based algorithms led to more polarized and less accurate beliefs is mentioned in the study report, but the other search results for 'personalized' refer to gift shopping and are irrelevant.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Shop unique, custom gifts for any occasion! Enjoy fast turnaround, 40K+ options, free personalization & speedy delivery. Create personalized gifts today!
https://www.personalizationmall.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 26, 2026 · Make every occasion unforgettable with personalized gifts from Personal Creations. Shop unique presents for weddings, birthdays, holidays and milestone moments.
https://www.personalcreations.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — From personalized home decor gifts to clothing made just for them, there’s a wide range of personalization options from small shops on Etsy. All year-long, Etsy is the destination for unique personali…
https://www.etsy.com/c/gifts/personalized-gifts
info
“the bridging-based ranking, which prioritizes posts that receive approval from people across political divides”
SINGLE SOURCE
The definition of 'bridging-based ranking' in this context is only provided in the study report. Other search results for 'bridging' refer to furniture banks or general definitions and are irrelevant.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 22, 2026 · At Bridging, we help furnish homes for people transitioning out of homelessness. Donate furniture or volunteer to make a lasting impact!
https://bridging.org/
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web search NEUTRAL — Our Mission serving Veterans and people with disabilities Bridging AZ is Arizona's First Furniture Bank. In the past 20 years we have distributed over 400,000 items helping over 60,000 families in nee…
https://www.bridgingaz.org/
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · transitive verb 1 : to make a bridge (see bridge entry 1) over or across bridging a river bridge the divisions between the two groups bridge the generation gap also : to join by a bridge
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridging
info
“intelligence-based ranking, which prioritizes content likely to improve the overall accuracy of collective judgments.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The definition of 'intelligence-based ranking' as a specific algorithmic approach to improve collective judgments is only found in the study report. Other results provide general definitions of intelligence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Intelligence is different from learning. Learning refers to the act of retaining facts and information or abilities and being able to recall them for future use. Intelligence, on the other hand, is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of INTELLIGENCE is the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations : reason. How to use intelligence in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 1, 2024 · Intelligence in psychology refers to the mental capacity to learn from experiences, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one'…
https://www.simplypsychology.org/intelligence.html
info
“The bridging algorithm increased consensus between liberal and conservative participants in some cases, while the intelligence algorithm improved the accuracy of their factual judgments compared with both random and engagement-based ranking”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific results comparing the bridging and intelligence algorithms are quoted directly from the study report, but not corroborated by any other independent source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “The bridging algorithm increased consensus between liberal and conservative participants in some cases while the intelligence algorithm improved the accuracy of their factual judgments compared with …
https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2026/05/alternative-social-media…
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web search NEUTRAL — Liberals and conservatives also tend to show compassion to different groups of people. The following are of the 15 biggest psychological differences academics have found between liberals and conservat…
https://www.businessinsider.com/psychological-differences-be…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Perilous State of the University: Jonathan Haidt & Jordan B Peterson. We discuss how political affiliation can be predicted and the differences between L...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPho0bpoKm8
help
“the researchers conducted a controlled two-stage online experiment with residents of the United States, half liberals and half conservatives.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific methodology (two-stage online experiment with US residents split by politics).
info
“Stage 1: Five hundred participants evaluated 72 short, argumentative posts across six political and societal topics”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the study report (implied by the context of other claims) likely contains this, the provided Wikipedia results for '72' and '500' refer to aircraft and stock indices, which are completely irrelevant. Only the study report context supports this, but it is not explicitly listed as a separate corroborating source here.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATR_72
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The NIFTY 500 is an Indian broad-based stock market index of the companies listed in the National Stock Exchange. It contains top 500 listed companies on the NSE. The NIFTY 500 index represents about …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIFTY_500
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — S&P 500 (Standard and Poor's 500) is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 leading companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&P_500
schedule
“Stage 2: A new group of 1,000 participants was asked to state their beliefs on the same six topics, then they were shown short three-post "feeds," and then they were asked to re-state their beliefs.”
PENDING
schedule
“Jason W. Burton et al, Simple changes to content curation algorithms affect the beliefs people form in a collaborative filtering experiment, Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2026). DOI: 10.1145/3772318.3790602”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.