The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election unfolded within an information environment of unprecedented volatility, challenging citizens to navigate a torrent of rapidly evolving, often contradictory information while determining what to believe. This study investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying epistemic self-efficacy - the perceived ability to distinguish accurate news from misinformation - across different information channels during this high-stakes election cycle. Drawing on data from the Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel (Wave 155, September 2024, N = 9,360), we test three hypotheses: (H1) whether reliance on social media predicts lower epistemic self-efficacy compared to mainstream news sources; (H2) whether perceived exposure to inaccurate information mediates this relationship; and (H3) whether information fatigue moderates the cognitive burden of verification across platforms. Contrary to expectations rooted in algorithmic filtering theory, we find no significant differences in reported difficulty determining truth between social media and mainstream news users. Instead, epistemic burden is driven by demographics (age, education) and universal information fatigue, suggesting a "leveling" of the information landscape during periods of extreme volatility. This finding challenges platform-deterministic theories and suggests that interventions to support informed citizenship must address cognitive resilience and attention management rather than platform choice alone.

翻译：2024年美国总统大选在空前波动的信息环境中展开，公民在决定应相信何种信息时，必须应对快速演变且时常矛盾的信息洪流。本研究探讨了在此高风险选举周期中，不同信息渠道下认知自我效能感（即感知自身区分准确新闻与错误信息的能力）背后的认知机制。基于皮尤研究中心美国趋势小组的调查数据（第155轮，2024年9月，N = 9,360），我们检验了三个假设：（H1）相较于主流新闻来源，依赖社交媒体是否预示着更低的认知自我效能感；（H2）感知到的错误信息暴露是否中介了这一关系；（H3）信息疲劳是否调节了跨平台验证的认知负担。与基于算法过滤理论的预期相反，我们发现社交媒体用户与主流新闻用户在报告辨别真相的难度方面并无显著差异。相反，认知负担主要由人口统计学因素（年龄、教育程度）和普遍存在的信息疲劳所驱动，这表明在极端波动时期信息环境呈现“均质化”特征。这一发现挑战了平台决定论观点，并提示支持知情公民的干预措施必须关注认知韧性与注意力管理，而非仅仅聚焦平台选择。