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Just five posts may be enough to shape what people believe online, study finds

Phys · · 638 words · By Institute; The Management Sciences
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What to know about Just five posts may be enough to shape what people believe online, study finds

The article reports on a study published in Information Systems Research regarding how social media users form opinions. The research suggests that users can develop stable beliefs after seeing as few as five consistent posts, often before verifying the accuracy of the information.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Just five posts may be enough to shape what people believe online, study finds Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor If people form opinions online before they fully evaluate whether information is true, then the fight against misinformation…

Why it matters

A new study published in Information Systems Research, a journal of INFORMS, suggests that social media users can begin developing stable opinions about unfamiliar topics after seeing only a handful of consistent posts.

Common ground

Researchers found that after roughly five exposures, users' impressions often began stabilizing and shaping how they responded to future information.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article reports on a study published in Information Systems Research regarding how social media users form opinions. The research suggests that users can develop stable beliefs after seeing as few as five consistent posts, often before verifying the accuracy of the information.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-people-online.html

analyticsAnalysis

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

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
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Claim 1: “Researchers conducted three controlled experiments using Instagram-style posts designed to simulate everyday scrolling behavior.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results explicitly confirm that the researchers conducted three controlled experiments using Instagram-style posts to simulate scrolling behavior.
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web search NEUTRAL — 7 days ago ... Researchers conducted three controlled experiments using Instagram-style posts designed to simulate everyday scrolling behavior. Participants ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-people-online.html
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 7, 2026 ... This research consists of three controlled experiments ... Across all experiments, the stimuli were constructed as Instagram-style posts ...
https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/isre.2024.1589
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web search NEUTRAL — The retrieved studies analyzed four main topics related to TikTok use, i.e., the overall impact on adolescents' mental health, risk of problematic use and ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12122552/
info
Claim 2: “Once users crossed what researchers describe as the 'Point of Critical Information,' or PCI, additional posts reinforcing an emerging opinion became easier to believe and more likely to be shared.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general study is corroborated, the specific terminology 'Point of Critical Information' (PCI) is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, though it is mentioned in the context of the study's findings in the original claim. The search results for 'PCI' returned payment industry compliance, not the psychological term.
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web search NEUTRAL — The After film series consists of American romantic dramas based on the Anna Todd -authored After novels. The plot centers around the positive and negative experiences of a romantic relationship betwe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_(film_series)
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 12, 2019 · After: Directed by Jenny Gage. With Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Khadijha Red Thunder, Dylan Arnold. A young woman falls for a guy with a dark secret and the two embark on a…
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4126476
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 4, 2025 · Watch After (2019) Full Movie HD - Digital Shadow on Dailymotion
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9disj8
info
Claim 3: “The study also found that identity cues significantly influenced credibility.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for 'identity' are general definitions or unrelated films; they do not specifically confirm the findings of the 'Where the Ball Starts Rolling?' study regarding identity cues.
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web search NEUTRAL — Identity is a 2003 American slasher film directed by James Mangold, written by Michael Cooney, and starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet with Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, and Rebecca De Mor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_(2003_film)
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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · The meaning of IDENTITY is the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : individuality. How to use identity in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 12, 2025 · Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that generate one’s sense of self.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/identity
info
Claim 4: “At the same time, contradictory information became easier to dismiss.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Similar to claim 4, the specific effect of contradictory information being easier to dismiss after the PCI is not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, although it aligns with the general findings of the corroborated study.
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web search NEUTRAL — Common mistakes like inadequate tokenization, unsafe data storage, and lack of regular testing create serious vulnerabilities.Missing: find dismiss.
https://www.hostedpci.com/common-mistakes-companies-make-wit…
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web search NEUTRAL — I'm getting conflicting information about PCI compliance validation. What do I do? Always refer back to the legal contracts you have in place with the party ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978159749…
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web search NEUTRAL — Avoid These 6 Mistakes When Submitting a PCI DSS SAQ. Common SAQ submission mistakes include misjudging scope, incomplete documentation, overlooking third-party ...
https://grsee.com/resources/pcidss/avoid-these-mistakes-when…
help
Claim 5: “Profiles signaling professional expertise, including accounts using titles such as 'Dr.', generated stronger engagement and greater trust even when credentials were unverified.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the claim regarding professional titles like 'Dr.' influencing trust.
schedule
Claim 6: “Venu Puthineedi et al, Where the Ball Starts Rolling? An Empirical Investigation into Initial Opinion Formation on Social Media Platforms, Information Systems Research (2026). DOI: 10.1287/isre.2024.1589”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 7: “Researchers found that after roughly five exposures, users' impressions often began stabilizing and shaping how they responded to future information.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly state that 'Just five posts may be enough to shape what people believe online' and refer to the research where impressions begin stabilizing after approximately five exposures.
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web search NEUTRAL — Social media can be used to consume, publish, or share news. Popular social media platforms with over 100 million registered users include Twitter, Facebook, WeChat, ShareChat, Instagram, Pinterest, Q…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
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web search NEUTRAL — With this free and secure account, you can request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, or manage the benefits you already receive.
https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
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web search NEUTRAL — Save time with SSA’s electronic submission service! Sign in or create a Social Security account to securely submit certain forms and documents online.
https://www.ssa.gov/
info
Claim 8: “Participants exposed to inaccurate information often reacted similarly to participants exposed to accurate information during the earliest stages of opinion formation.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search snippets confirm the study exists and its general goal, but they do not explicitly detail the specific comparison between accurate and inaccurate information reactions in the early stages.
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web search NEUTRAL — Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs, values, ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
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web search NEUTRAL — Opinion formation refers to the process through which individuals develop personal judgments and beliefs based on their learning experiences and social ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/opinio…
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web search NEUTRAL — Social influence is the process by which individuals adapt their opinion, revise their beliefs, or change their behavior as a result of social interactions ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3818331/
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Claim 9: “The study, 'Where the Ball Starts Rolling? An Empirical Investigation into Initial Opinion Formation on Social Media Platforms,' challenges a common assumption underlying many discussions about misinformation: that people first determine whether information is accurate and only then form opinions about it.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly identify the study by title ('Where the Ball Starts Rolling? An Empirical Investigation into Initial Opinion Formation on Social Media Platforms') and describe its purpose of investigating initial opinion formation.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Comedian's Guide to Survival is a 2016 British-Canadian comedy film written by James Mullinger and Mark Murphy and starring James Buckley.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comedian's_Guide_to_Surviv…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mayhem Ball was the eighth concert tour by the American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her album Mayhem (2025). The tour was announced following the strong response to the album, having initially…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mayhem_Ball
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 10: “In some cases, users viewed those accounts as more credible than high-follower influencer profiles posting identical information.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the claim regarding the comparison between professional accounts and high-follower influencers.
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Claim 11: “A new study published in Information Systems Research, a journal of INFORMS, suggests that social media users can begin developing stable opinions about unfamiliar topics after seeing only a handful of consistent posts.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is supported by multiple web search results describing a study about opinion formation on social media. One result explicitly mentions that 'Just five posts may be enough to shape what people believe online', and Wikipedia confirms that 'Information Systems Research' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of INFORMS.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A current research information system (CRIS) is a database or other information system to store, manage and exchange contextual metadata for the research activity funded by a research funder or conduc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_research_information_s…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Information Systems Research is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research in the areas of information systems and information technology, including cognitive psychology, economic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Systems_Research
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, and organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information system…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_system
+ 3 more evidence sources
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.