The Effect of a Protective Message on Critical Evaluation of Fake News
- Conditions
- Disclosure of Protective Message
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Source of news
- Registration Number
- NCT05030883
- Lead Sponsor
- Tilburg University
- Brief Summary
Background: Disinformation has become an increasing societal concern, especially due to the speed that news is shared in the current digital era. In particular in the healthcare sector disinformation can lead to serious casualties, as the current COVID-19 crisis clearly shows.
Objective: The main aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of information about the source's and a displayed protective warning message on users' critical evaluation of news items, as well as the perception of accuracy of the news item.
Methods: A 3(unreliable versus reliable versus no identified source) x 2 (protective message: with versus without) between subject design has been conducted among 307 participants (mean age = 29 years, SD = 10.9 years).
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 400
- Facebook user
- older than 18
- Dutch
- younger than 18 years
- no facebook
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- FACTORIAL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description reliable source Source of news In this condition participants receive a news message from an reliable source no source Source of news In this condition participants receive a news message without a source unreliable source Source of news In this condition participants receive a news message from an unreliable source
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Critical evaluation of source and news immediately after exposure, 5 minutes questionnaire
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences
🇳🇱Tilburg, Netherlands