Misinformation is both a symptom and a cause: Reply to Altay and Mercier (2026)

In their commentary, Altay and Mercier (2026) frame misinformation as a mere symptom of deeper underlying societal problems. Here, we highlight a more nuanced causal account involving reciprocal effects, where misinformation can act as a cause of societal issues, which in turn can simultaneously act as a cause of misinformation belief. When it comes to the total causal impact of misinformation, we note the importance of taking into account not only the direct but also the indirect effects. Viewing misinformation as both a symptom and a cause offers an opportunity for appropriate policy interventions depending on the behavior, context, and misinformation in question. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)