Deepfaking Science with Well-known Faces: Exploring the Influence of Populist Attitudes on Evaluations of Science Deepfakes Video with Celebrities

Jiyoung Yeon (PhD student), Bart Wojdynski, Park, S., & Ebba, H. K. “Deepfaking Science with Well-known Faces: Exploring the Influence of Populist Attitudes on Evaluations of Science Deepfakes Video with Celebrities,” paper to be presented at 2024 AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, Lexington, KY, United States, March 7-9, 2024.

Abstract: This study aims to explore how science deepfake videos featuring well-known celebrities influence visual authenticity and message credibility, exploring the moderated role of populist attitudes related to politics and science on these effects. Despite a blooming body of research on deepfake videos through the psychological lens, the influence of a celebrity, one of the common victims, in deepfake videos remains less understood. Moreover, the rise of populist views that oppose established systems, elites, and authorities, including politics and science, may foster belief in science conspiracy theories, potentially amplifying the deception effect of science deepfake videos with a celebrity. The findings from this study will paint a picture of how deepfakes contribute to science disinformation and highlight the selective vulnerability of individuals to the deception of deepfake videos based on their differences.