https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/14/poor-numerical-literacy-linked-to-greater-susceptibility-to-covid-19-fake-news

The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science
Researchers at Cambridge University said the findings suggested improving people’s analytical skills could help turn the tide against an epidemic of “fake news” surrounding the health crisis.

Some scientists think that susceptibility to misinformation is related to political views, while others think it is linked to reasoning abilities.
Another distinct factor linked to belief in Covid-19 “fake news” was age, the researchers found. Being older was associated with lower susceptibility to misinformation everywhere (except Mexico)

Political conservatism was also linked to a slightly higher susceptibility to misinformation, the researchers found, but surprisingly, this link was not as strong in the US and UK as it was elsewhere.

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more on critical thinking in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=critical+thinking