Introduction:  The rapid growth of digital media and social networking platforms has substantially increased the dissemination of fake news, posing serious challenges to individuals’ ability to form accurate beliefs that are essential for sound personal and social functioning. Fake news, typically presented in the format of legitimate news but lacking verifiable evidence, can mislead audiences and shape attitudes, decisions, and behaviors. While technological and informational approaches, such as fact-checking tools and media literacy programs, have been widely promoted, recent psychological research suggests that susceptibility to fake news is deeply rooted in individuals’ cognitive processes rather than in a mere lack of knowledge. Drawing on dual-process theories of cognition, which distinguish between fast, intuitive processing and slow, analytical reasoning, the present systematic review aims to synthesize empirical evidence on the cognitive predictors of fake news detection. Specifically, this review seeks to identify key cognitive abilities and thinking dispositions that influence individuals’ capacity to detect, believe in, and share fake news, thereby providing a theoretical and empirical foundation for cognitively informed media literacy interventions.
Method: This study adopted a qualitative systematic review methodology. Comprehensive searches were conducted across national databases (ISC, SID, and IranDoc) and international databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) without time restrictions. Search terms included combinations of keywords related to fake news and cognition, such as fake news, misinformation, attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, thinking, critical thinking, cognitive skills, and executive functions. After removing duplicate records, two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts based on predefined inclusion criteria. Eligible studies were empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English or Persian that explicitly examined cognitive variables associated with fake news detection, belief, or sharing. Meta-analyses, conference papers, books, and non-English studies were excluded. Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. From each study, data were extracted on authorship, year of publication, sample characteristics, cognitive constructs examined, research design, instruments used, and key findings. The results were synthesized narratively and categorized according to major cognitive predictors.
Results:  Across the 17 reviewed studies, several cognitive factors consistently emerged as significant predictors of fake news detection. The most frequently examined variables were critical thinking and analytical thinking. Eight studies reported that higher levels of critical thinking were associated with an improved ability to identify fake news, as well as a reduced likelihood of liking or sharing misleading content. Six studies identified analytical thinking as a robust negative predictor of belief in fake news and a positive predictor of accurate discrimination between real and fake news headlines. Additional cognitive predictors included thinking style and thinking dispositions, particularly actively open-minded thinking, which was associated with a greater willingness to seek evidence and consider alternative explanations. One study emphasized the role of general cognitive ability, while another identified causal illusion as a key factor, demonstrating that individuals prone to perceiving spurious causal relationships were more susceptible to fake news. Overall, the findings indicate that cognitive factors influence not only the detection of fake news but also belief formation and information-sharing behaviors.
Discussion: The findings of this systematic review underscore the central role of cognitive abilities and thinking dispositions in fake news detection. Consistent with dual-process models, individuals who engage in reflective and analytical reasoning are better equipped to inhibit intuitive responses that often lead to the uncritical acceptance of misinformation. Critical thinking appears to function as a cognitive safeguard, enabling individuals to evaluate sources, assess evidence, and tolerate uncertainty when confronted with ambiguous or misleading information. In contrast, reliance on intuitive processing, low engagement in actively open-minded thinking, and susceptibility to causal illusions increase vulnerability to fake news. Importantly, these cognitive factors are not fixed traits and can be strengthened through targeted educational interventions. The results suggest that media literacy programs are likely to be most effective when they go beyond technical skills and explicitly focus on enhancing critical and analytical thinking, fostering open-minded evaluation, and reducing common cognitive biases. Integrating cognitively oriented training into educational curricula from early stages may therefore play a crucial role in reducing the spread of fake news and improving the quality of individual and societal decision-making.