Vigilante violence, often targeting religious and sectarian minorities and preceded by unsubstantiated rumors, has taken the lives of many citizens in India and Pakistan in recent years. Despite its horrific nature, such vigilantism receives popular support. A new article in American Political Science Review co-authored by SIS Professor Sumitra Badrinathan asks, can reducing the credibility of rumors via corrections decrease support for vigilantism?

To answer this question, Badrinathan and co-authors Simon Chauchard and Niloufer Siddiqui field simultaneous, in-person experiments in Punjab, Pakistan, and Uttar Pradesh, India, regions where anti-minority vigilantism has been preceded by misinformation. They find that correcting rumors reduces support for vigilantism and increases the desire to hold vigilantes accountable. This effect is not attenuated by prior distrust toward out-groups. By contrast, information about state and elite behavior does not always shape attitudes toward vigilantism. These findings provide evidence that support for vigilantism can be reduced through the dissemination of credible information, even in polarized settings.

Read the full article here.

BADRINATHAN S, CHAUCHARD S, SIDDIQUI N. Misinformation and Support for Vigilantism: An Experiment in India and Pakistan. American Political Science Review. Published online 2024:1-19. doi:10.1017/S0003055424000790