Online news sites, blogs, and other websites often use eye-catching psychology information as headlines — but how do you know what’s really true? Here are some tips to discern fact from fiction:

Look for reputable sources: If the website posts mainly opinion or clickbait pieces, it’s likely that their psychology information is not trustworthy. To find authentic information, check out professional psychological websites like American Psychological Association (APA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Simply Psychology, Psychology Today, or the psychology departments of a reputable university.

Sensationalized headlines: Be skeptical if a headline uses conclusive language (“This one trick cures depression!”) or makes broad assumptions based on a single study.

Emotional appeal: Be aware of any source that is trying to cause extreme fear, anger, or awe. This way of playing to your emotions can often be a sign that the information being presented is dramatized.

Missing or vague citations: Genuine findings will trace back to peer-reviewed studies. If the website doesn’t mention the researchers, university, or journal the study comes from, be suspicious of their claims.

Correlation vs. causation: Real studies will almost never say that one thing causes another. Instead, they would state that they found a correlation or relationship between the two. Be wary if a website is claiming that something definitively causes another (“Eating Chocolate Makes You Smarter”).

It can be difficult to know what information to trust, but with these tips you can be an educated consumer of psychological news! Remember to find sources you can trust, pay attention to the way they present information, and fact check anything you are unsure of.

Psychology Online: Avoiding Misinformation