Research by Newtral and the University of Granada finds that a combination of group identity, distorted information, unjustified causal inferences and emotionally charged language consistently appeared in viral content related to the unrest that took place on 9 July 2025 in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, Spain.
A study conducted by Newtral and the Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC) at the University of Granada has identified a recurring set of psychological mechanisms that contribute to the spread of disinformation and hate speech on social media. The research analysed nearly 290,000 posts on X, TikTok and Telegram related to the unrest in Torre Pacheco.
The researchers describe this pattern as a “rhetorical package”, made up of four elements that frequently appear together: the construction of a group identity (“us” versus “them”), the use of distorted or selective information, unjustified cause-and-effect inferences, and highly emotional language, particularly language that evokes anger, fear or disgust. According to the study, this combination was present in between 86% and 99% of the posts analysed, regardless of the platform.
The study also found that calls for violence rarely emerge in isolation. In almost every case examined, they were preceded or accompanied by dehumanising portrayals, insults or derogatory characterisations of the targeted group, suggesting that dehumanisation plays a central role in the escalation of hostile discourse.
Another key finding is that the dissemination of this type of content is highly concentrated among a relatively small number of accounts. Rather than being driven by widespread user participation, a limited group of actors was responsible for amplifying much of the toxic content. On X, approximately 12.4% of users posting about Torre Pacheco generated half of all messages containing derogatory interactions. On Telegram, just 14 channels produced half of the toxic content identified during the period analysed.
The authors argue that these findings help explain why certain narratives become highly viral and could contribute to the development of more effective strategies for detecting and mitigating online disinformation and hate speech. The project brought together fact-checking journalists and psychology researchers and used validated artificial intelligence models to identify the psychological mechanisms present in the analysed posts.
Newtral is one of the fact-checking organisations participating in the IBERIFIER consortium.
