How analytical thinking helps to recognize fakes

The rapid spread of unverified information, deliberate disinformation and complex news hooks have turned the digital space into a minefield. In these conditions, blind faith in any content is dangerous. The key skill for survival in the modern information world is analytical thinking — a systematic approach to data verification that allows you to separate facts from fiction.

The concept of “analytical thinking” consists of two parts. “Thinking” indicates its cognitive nature, and the definition of “analytical” is interpreted in different ways: from a broad understanding as the ability to make sound judgments to narrow interpretations in science, management and, of course, fact-checking. In other words, it is the ability to analyze data, break down complex problems into parts, identify patterns, relationships and make reasonable conclusions.

Key characteristics for analytical thinking in fact-checking are the ability to identify patterns, formalize cause-and-effect relationships, decompose complex problems into their constituent parts, study the relationships between these elements, and draw logical conclusions based on the analysis of facts and arguments.

Key characteristics of analytical thinking in fact checking:

Pattern identification — the ability to find repeating elements, common features and anomalies in an array of information.
Formalization of cause-and-effect relationships — the ability to accurately define and build logical chains between events and their consequences.
Problem solving is the skill of breaking down complex statements or data into simpler, more manageable parts.
Relationship analysis — studying how the selected parts and elements influence each other.
Building logical conclusions — forming well-founded conclusions solely on the basis of verified facts and analysis of arguments.

Stages of the analytical approach.
Decomposition.

The information being disseminated, if we are talking about news hooks, is rarely a separate independent statement. On the contrary, it is often built into the current agenda, supplemented with details, sometimes personal opinion. In addition, in some cases, the reason for creating a news report is a complex multi-faceted event, within the framework of which only part of the information is unreliable. Therefore, it is important to perceive news hooks from the standpoint of analytical thinking. The key method here is decomposition — analysis of complex information structures into separate verifiable statements that can then be confirmed or refuted. Such a structured perception of information can help reduce cognitive distortions that often arise when perceiving a news hook as a whole, due to the human brain’s desire for simplification and associative thinking.

Patterns, cause-and-effect relationships, logic.

The initial assessment of information includes its correlation with existing knowledge. The absence of clear cause-and-effect relationships explaining the origin or validity of information serves as a signal for additional research.

In particular, this was demonstrated in the GFCN investigation by Sonja van den Ende regarding Chat GPT’s alleged susceptibility to Russian propaganda based on its use of TASS data. The logical inconsistency between the information about the influence and international recognition of the Russian news agency and its discreditation, as well as knowledge of the specifics of neural networks, made it possible to determine this information occasion as unreliable.

In fact-checking, this stage is important for establishing violations of the cause-and-effect relationship, which is typical, in particular, for subjective interpretations broadcast as truth, including for fakes built on the principles of clickbait.

Verification and checking of sources.

After decomposition and logical analysis, each element requires individual verification. This stage involves assessing the source of information: its reputation, expertise, possible bias and independence. It is necessary to check not only the fact itself, but also who, when and for what purpose it was voiced. Cross-checking data with independent authoritative sources is a mandatory step to confirm or refute the statement.

Contextualization and synthesis.

After checking the individual components, it is necessary to put them back together into a single picture, considering the overall context. It is important to understand whether any important information was lost during decomposition and how the verified facts relate to each other now. This step prevents the main pitfall of analysis — the loss of the overall meaning due to an excessive focus on details. This is especially critical for historical, political and cultural topics, where the meaning is highly dependent on the context.

Formulation of conclusion and presentation of results.

The final stage is to form a well-founded, logical and consistent conclusion based on the analysis. In professional fact-checking, this conclusion must be presented clearly and in a structured manner to the audience: indicating the statement being tested, the methods used, the evidence found and the final verdict. The clarity of the conclusion shows how convincingly analytical thinking can refute or confirm information.

Thus, analytical thinking is a necessary skill for both professional fact-checkers in their work and for ordinary users who do not want to become victims of unreliable information and possible manipulations. However, for its correct application in fact-checking, it is necessary that it act as one of the components of perception, along with other types of thinking, including systemic, and be supplemented by a correct methodology.