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

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

van der Linden, Sander  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0269-1744
Nygren, T 

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.

Description

Keywords

5203 Clinical and Health Psychology, 52 Psychology, 3 Good Health and Well Being

Journal Title

Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2766-1652
2766-1652

Volume Title

Publisher

Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics, and Public Policy
Sponsorship
UK Foreign Office (FCO)