Background
Widespread acceptance of misinformation has led to the notion of a “post-truth” world in which personal beliefs and appeals to emotion have more influence on public opinion than objective facts. Adolescents may be particularly susceptible to misinformation because of a) the viral way it spreads via online social media, b) the persuasive nature of the video-based information they prefer, and c) their relative inability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable information. This age group also deserves special attention as they are at a crucial developmental stage during which lifelong information-engagement habits are formed.
Psychological Inoculation
Psychological Inoculation Theory draws an analogy to biological inoculation: Just as medical vaccines deliver weakened pathogens to stimulate an immune response that produces disease-fighting antibodies, psychological inoculation delivers a weakened persuasive attack to stimulate a cognitive response that produces counterarguments to resist the attack. Popular contemporary inoculation interventions to address susceptibility to misinformation are Digital Technique-based Inoculation Interventions against Misinformation (DTIIMs).
DTIIMs
DTIIMs are videos and browser-based games that aim to reduce susceptibility to misinformation by inoculating against common rhetorical techniques of persuasion rather than specific arguments. They show promise as fun, engaging activities that meet the needs of adolescents. However, there is a lively debate in the field about the effectiveness of DTIIMs, and relatedly, which methodological and statistical techniques should be used to test them. Furthermore, the theoretically relevant factors and mechanisms by which psychological inoculation’s effects are thought to arise remain largely unexplored in these interventions.
Scientific Relevance
In Phase A, via two studies, this project will clarify past findings for the effects of DTIIMs. A specific area of interest for Study 1, a systematic review, is the strength of the inferential links between tests of these interventions and the theoretical framework which inspired them. Another focus is the treatment of test stimuli response data in statistical analyses. Study 2 will then apply insights from Study 1 to reassess and reanaylise data from past DTIIMs research, and provide a meta-analysis of results. In Phase B, this project will empirically test the role of theoretically relevant factors and pathways by which DTIIMs are assumed to inoculate, on adult and adolescent samples. The project will culminate with a testable digital intervention to address susceptibility to misinformation in adolescents.
Societal Relevance
DTIIMs are widely recommended for use in schools and have reached millions. They are promoted and used by the United Nations, the UK Cabinet Office, US government departments, Jigsaw Google and other large organisations. However, some researchers have concluded they make people more sceptical of all information rather than better at distinguishing between misinformation and reliable information. Such an outcome may be maladaptive for adolescents. Furthermore, there is little research of any sort on the effects of DTIIMs on adolescents specifically. The societal relevance of this PhD project is that it will provide evidence-based guidance for the design and assessment of new, safe and effective interventions that adolescents need. It will thus take important steps towards a viable next generation of scalable online interventions to address misinformation susceptibility in adolescents.
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