Prebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can reduce susceptibility to misinformation across cultures

Jon Roozenbeek; Sander van der Linden; Thomas Nygren

doi:10.37016//mr-2020-008

Prebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can reduce susceptibility to misinformation across cultures

Jon Roozenbeek
, Sander van der Linden
, Thomas Nygren

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This study finds that the online “fake news” game, Bad News, can confer psychological resistance against common online misinformation strategies across different cultures. The intervention draws on the theory of psychological inoculation: analogous to the process of medical immunization, we find that “prebunking,” or preemptively warning and exposing people to weakened doses of misinformation, can help cultivate “mental antibodies” against fake news. We conclude that social impact games rooted in basic insights from social psychology can boost immunity against misinformation across a variety of cultural, linguistic, and political settings.

Original language	English
Journal	Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review
Volume	1
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.37016//mr-2020-008
Publication status	Published - 2020
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The Bad News translation rpoject was ufnded ybtehnUitdeiKngdom oFreign nad oCmmonwealth fOfice and the University of Uppsala. The authors would like to thank the organizations and individuals involved in this project: DROG, Marije Arentze and Ruurd Oosterwoud in the Netherlands, Wissenschaft im Dialog and Arwen Cross in Germany, MamPrawoWiedzieć and Ewa Modrzejewska in Poland, Ellinika Hoaxes and Andronikos Koutroumpelis in Greece, the Centre for Independent Journalism and Cristina Lupu in Romania, Sorin Ioniță inRomaia andMnoldova, European Values Think Tank and Veronika Špalková in the Czech Republic, ZvodaČasoris and Sonja Merljak Zdovc in Slovenia, the SHARE Foundation and the Centre for Media Law and Kristina Cendic in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and Ellen Franzén and Rise in Sweden. The Bad News translation project was funded by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the University of Uppsala. The authors would like to thank the organizations and individuals involved in this project: DROG, Marije Arentze and Ruurd Oosterwoud in the Netherlands, Wissenschaft im Dialog and Arwen Cross in Germany, MamPrawoWiedzieć and Ewa Modrzejewska in Poland, Ellinika Hoaxes and Andronikos Koutroumpelis in Greece, the Centre for Independent Journalism and Cristina Lupu in Romania, Sorin Ioniță in Romania and Moldova, European Values Think Tank and Veronika Špalková in the Czech Republic, Zavod Časoris and Sonja Merljak Zdovc in Slovenia, the SHARE Foundation and the Centre for Media Law and Kristina Cendic in Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and Ellen Franzén and Rise in Sweden.

Funders
Centre for Media Law
SHARE Foundation
Sonja Merljak Zdovc in Slovenia
Uppsala Universitet

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title = "Prebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can reduce susceptibility to misinformation across cultures",

abstract = "This study finds that the online “fake news” game, Bad News, can confer psychological resistance against common online misinformation strategies across different cultures. The intervention draws on the theory of psychological inoculation: analogous to the process of medical immunization, we find that “prebunking,” or preemptively warning and exposing people to weakened doses of misinformation, can help cultivate “mental antibodies” against fake news. We conclude that social impact games rooted in basic insights from social psychology can boost immunity against misinformation across a variety of cultural, linguistic, and political settings.",

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Prebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can reduce susceptibility to misinformation across cultures

Abstract

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