Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy
This study seeks to understand how online discussion, fact-checking, and sources of fact-checks will influence individuals' risk perceptions toward nuclear energy when they are exposed to fake news. Using a 2 × 3 experimental design, 320 participants were randomly assigned to one of the six exp...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163490 |
| _version_ | 1824455016895741952 |
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| author | Ho, Shirley S. Chuah, Agnes Soo Fei Kim, Nuri Tandoc, Edson C. |
| author2 | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information |
| author_facet | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Ho, Shirley S. Chuah, Agnes Soo Fei Kim, Nuri Tandoc, Edson C. |
| author_sort | Ho, Shirley S. |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This study seeks to understand how online discussion, fact-checking, and sources of fact-checks will influence individuals' risk perceptions toward nuclear energy when they are exposed to fake news. Using a 2 × 3 experimental design, 320 participants were randomly assigned to one of the six experimental conditions. Results showed an interaction effect between online discussion and exposure to fact-checking, in which online discussion lowered individuals' risk perception toward nuclear energy when a fact-check was unavailable. Of those who participated in the online discussion, those who viewed a fact-check posted by traditional media have higher risk perception as compared to those who viewed a fact-check posted by a fact-check organization. Our findings indicate that different fact-checking sources can have differential effects on public risk perceptions, depending on whether online discussion is involved. To curb the spread of fake news, different fact-checking strategies will need to be deployed depending on the situation. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:31:31Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/163490 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:31:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1634902024-03-07T00:09:00Z Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy Ho, Shirley S. Chuah, Agnes Soo Fei Kim, Nuri Tandoc, Edson C. Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Social sciences::Communication Fake News Nuclear Energy This study seeks to understand how online discussion, fact-checking, and sources of fact-checks will influence individuals' risk perceptions toward nuclear energy when they are exposed to fake news. Using a 2 × 3 experimental design, 320 participants were randomly assigned to one of the six experimental conditions. Results showed an interaction effect between online discussion and exposure to fact-checking, in which online discussion lowered individuals' risk perception toward nuclear energy when a fact-check was unavailable. Of those who participated in the online discussion, those who viewed a fact-check posted by traditional media have higher risk perception as compared to those who viewed a fact-check posted by a fact-check organization. Our findings indicate that different fact-checking sources can have differential effects on public risk perceptions, depending on whether online discussion is involved. To curb the spread of fake news, different fact-checking strategies will need to be deployed depending on the situation. National Research Foundation (NRF) This work is funded by the Singapore National Research Foundation under the Nuclear Safety Research and Education Programme (NSREP) Award No. NRF2014NPR-NPRP001-004. 2022-12-07T07:11:58Z 2022-12-07T07:11:58Z 2022 Journal Article Ho, S. S., Chuah, A. S. F., Kim, N. & Tandoc, E. C. (2022). Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy. Risk Analysis, 1-15. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/risa.13980 0272-4332 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163490 10.1111/risa.13980 35759611 2-s2.0-85132843381 1 15 en NRF2014NPR-NPRP001-004 Risk Analysis © 2022 Society for Risk Analysis. All rights reserved. |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Communication Fake News Nuclear Energy Ho, Shirley S. Chuah, Agnes Soo Fei Kim, Nuri Tandoc, Edson C. Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title | Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title_full | Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title_fullStr | Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title_short | Fake news, real risks: how online discussion and sources of fact-check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| title_sort | fake news real risks how online discussion and sources of fact check influence public risk perceptions toward nuclear energy |
| topic | Social sciences::Communication Fake News Nuclear Energy |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163490 |
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