A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects
Abstract The present online intervention promoted family-based prosocial values—in terms of helping family members—among young adults to build resistance against fake news. This preregistered randomized controlled trial study is among the first psychological fake news interventions in Eastern Europe...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30867-7 |
| _version_ | 1797864828848570368 |
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| author | Gábor Orosz Benedek Paskuj Laura Faragó Péter Krekó |
| author_facet | Gábor Orosz Benedek Paskuj Laura Faragó Péter Krekó |
| author_sort | Gábor Orosz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The present online intervention promoted family-based prosocial values—in terms of helping family members—among young adults to build resistance against fake news. This preregistered randomized controlled trial study is among the first psychological fake news interventions in Eastern Europe, where the free press is weak and state-sponsored misinformation runs riot in mainstream media. In this intervention, participants were endowed with an expert role and requested to write a letter to their digitally less competent relatives explaining six strategies that help fake news recognition. Compared to the active control group there was an immediate effect (d = 0.32) that persisted until the follow-up four weeks later (d = 0.22) on fake news accuracy ratings of the young, advice-giving participants. The intervention also reduced the bullshit receptivity of participants both immediately after the intervention and in the long run. The present work demonstrates the power of using relevant social bonds for motivating behavior change among Eastern European participants. Our prosocial approach with its robust grounding in human psychology might complement prior interventions in the fight against misinformation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:59:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52eda783d2934f75bbcb4ce923696d21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:59:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-52eda783d2934f75bbcb4ce923696d212023-03-22T11:04:50ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-03-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-30867-7A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effectsGábor Orosz0Benedek Paskuj1Laura Faragó2Péter Krekó3ULR 7369-URePSSS-Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Sport Santé Société, Sherpas, Université de Lille, Université d’Artois, Université du Littoral Côte d’OpaleDepartment of Psychology, University College LondonInstitute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd UniversityAbstract The present online intervention promoted family-based prosocial values—in terms of helping family members—among young adults to build resistance against fake news. This preregistered randomized controlled trial study is among the first psychological fake news interventions in Eastern Europe, where the free press is weak and state-sponsored misinformation runs riot in mainstream media. In this intervention, participants were endowed with an expert role and requested to write a letter to their digitally less competent relatives explaining six strategies that help fake news recognition. Compared to the active control group there was an immediate effect (d = 0.32) that persisted until the follow-up four weeks later (d = 0.22) on fake news accuracy ratings of the young, advice-giving participants. The intervention also reduced the bullshit receptivity of participants both immediately after the intervention and in the long run. The present work demonstrates the power of using relevant social bonds for motivating behavior change among Eastern European participants. Our prosocial approach with its robust grounding in human psychology might complement prior interventions in the fight against misinformation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30867-7 |
| spellingShingle | Gábor Orosz Benedek Paskuj Laura Faragó Péter Krekó A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects Scientific Reports |
| title | A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| title_full | A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| title_fullStr | A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| title_short | A prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| title_sort | prosocial fake news intervention with durable effects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30867-7 |
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