Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
7-28-2026
Abstract
This study examines how misinformation literacy is associated with political participation in digital environments through psychological and behavioral pathways. We extend the Communication Mediation Model (CMM) by integrating it with media literacy scholarship and locus of control theory. Rather than treating media literacy as a single formal theory, we conceptualize it as a scholarly framework that specifies the competencies through which individuals access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act on media messages. Within this framework, misinformation literacy refers to applied competence in recognizing, evaluating, resisting, and responding to false or misleading information. Using survey data from 499 U.S. adults, the analysis shows that misinformation literacy is positively associated with political participation both directly and indirectly through media locus of control and news consumption. These findings suggest that misinformation literacy is politically consequential not only as an evaluative skill, but also as a resource connected to perceived media agency and politically relevant communication behavior
Recommended Citation
INFORMATION REMOVED, AUTHOR, "How Misinformation Literacy Relates to Political Participation: An Extended Communication Mediation Model" (2026). JMLE Submissions Open for Review. Paper 3.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-ofr/3