A Cross-Domain Study of the Use of Persuasion Techniques in Online Disinformation
This work addresses the problem of limited comprehensive insights into disinformation strategies for researchers and policymakers, though it is incremental as it extends existing methods to new domains.
The study tackled the lack of cross-domain understanding of persuasion techniques in online disinformation by conducting a large-scale, multi-domain analysis using a state-of-the-art classifier, revealing disproportionate use of 16 techniques across different domains.
Disinformation, irrespective of domain or language, aims to deceive or manipulate public opinion, typically through employing advanced persuasion techniques. Qualitative and quantitative research on the weaponisation of persuasion techniques in disinformation has been mostly topic-specific (e.g., COVID-19) with limited cross-domain studies, resulting in a lack of comprehensive understanding of these strategies. This study employs a state-of-the-art persuasion technique classifier to conduct a large-scale, multi-domain analysis of the role of 16 persuasion techniques in disinformation narratives. It shows how different persuasion techniques are employed disproportionately in different disinformation domains. We also include a detailed case study on climate change disinformation, highlighting how linguistic, psychological, and cultural factors shape the adaptation of persuasion strategies to fit unique thematic contexts.