# A Cross-Domain Study of the Use of Persuasion Techniques in Online Disinformation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.15098 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.15098/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 17 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 19 Dec 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [CLIMATE-FEVER: A Dataset for Verification of Real-World Climate Claims](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.00614/) (2020)
- [A Survey on Computational Propaganda Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.08024/) (2020)
- [EUvsDisinfo: A Dataset for Multilingual Detection of Pro-Kremlin Disinformation in News Articles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.12614/) (2024)
- [Comparison between parameter-efficient techniques and full fine-tuning: A case study on multilingual news article classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07282/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [PCoT: Persuasion-Augmented Chain of Thought for Detecting Fake News and Social Media Disinformation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.06842/) (2025)
- [Sword and Shield: Uses and Strategies of LLMs in Navigating Disinformation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.07211/) (2025)
- [LLM-Based Adversarial Persuasion Attacks on Fact-Checking Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.16890/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Disinformation, irrespective of domain or language, aims to deceive or manipulate public opinion, typically through employing advanced persuasion techniques. Qualitative and quantitative research on the weaponisation of persuasion techniques in disinformation has been mostly topic-specific (e.g., COVID-19) with limited cross-domain studies, resulting in a lack of comprehensive understanding of these strategies. This study employs a state-of-the-art persuasion technique classifier to conduct a large-scale, multi-domain analysis of the role of 16 persuasion techniques in disinformation narratives. It shows how different persuasion techniques are employed disproportionately in different disinformation domains. We also include a detailed case study on climate change disinformation, highlighting how linguistic, psychological, and cultural factors shape the adaptation of persuasion strategies to fit unique thematic contexts.