Building Cognitive Resilience to Vaccine Misinformation Using Conversational AI: Evidence From a Multi-Country European Randomised Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 入组人数
- 5,000
- 主要终点
- Parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination
研究概览
简要总结
This multi-country trial evaluates an AI chatbot designed to counter cognitive biases and inoculate parents against vaccine misinformation, embedded within a large survey across five European countries (n=5,000). Scaled from a 2026 single-country study, outcomes compare behavioural and attitudinal responses against standard-of-care materials (e.g., UNICEF infographics) to identify effective, scalable misinformation interventions.
详细描述
The aim of this multi-country trial is to identify and quantify the effectiveness of inoculation strategies against vaccine-related misinformation. Building on a single-country study implemented in early 2026 [NCT07488962], the study evaluates an AI chatbot designed to counter cognitive biases, embedded within a larger survey to enable integrated assessment of engagement, behavioural responses, and system performance at scale.
The study will be conducted across five European countries-the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia, and Slovakia-with a total sample of 5,000 parents or caregivers (n=1,000 per country). Participants will complete a structured survey assessing childhood vaccination behaviours, vaccine confidence, trust in information sources, exposure to misinformation, and relevant psychological and sociodemographic factors.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control arm. The intervention arm will receive the AI-based chatbot, while the control arm will receive standard-of-care materials-such as national or international health institute communications (e.g., UNICEF infographics)-that address the same misinformation messages, enabling a direct and rigorous comparison.
The primary outcome is parents' ability to correctly distinguish true from false childhood vaccine statements. Quantitative analyses will include pooled and country-specific models to identify determinants of vaccine confidence and estimate intervention effects. Findings will clarify drivers of declining vaccine confidence and assess whether a scalable AI-based chatbot can reduce vulnerability to misinformation and support informed vaccination decisions.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Health Services Research
- 盲法
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 20 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Parents or caregivers with children under 18 years old in the five target countries (UK, Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia, and Slovakia); and
- •Those who have regular access to a digital device and the internet
排除标准
- •Participants who do not meet the inclusion criteria.
研究组 & 干预措施
AI-driven chatbot
An interactive, web-based, AI-driven chatbot intervention designed to counter vaccine misinformation. It can be accessed via a personal computer, tablet, or mobile device through a web- browser link.
干预措施: AI-driven chatbot (Behavioral)
Social media infographic
A UNICEF social media infographic with three "myth vs. fact" statements on vaccination that correspond to the same misinformation tactics explained by the MindShield chatbot.
干预措施: Social media infographic (Behavioral)
结局指标
主要结局
Parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination
时间窗: From enrollment to the endpoint assessment immediately following the intervention during the same survey session (approximately 20-30 minutes)
The primary outcome of this study will assess parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination, defined as parents' ability to accurately distinguish between true and false vaccine-related information. This will be measured using ten statements on childhood vaccines, including four true and six false, rumour-related statements. Two of the rumour-related statements correspond to each of the three misinformation tactics introduced by the chatbot and the UNICEF infographic. This measure reflects parents' ability to identify misinformation containing manipulation tactics they were inoculated against and to distinguish true from false information regarding childhood vaccination. Responses will be recorded as "True", "False", or "Don't know". A composite misinformation susceptibility score will be calculated based on the number of correct responses, with higher scores indicating greater ability to identify vaccine misinformation accurately.
Parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination
时间窗: Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes
The primary outcome of this study will assess parental susceptibility to misinformation about childhood vaccination, defined as parents' ability to accurately distinguish between true and false vaccine-related information. This will be measured using ten statements on childhood vaccines, including four true and six false, rumour-related statements. Two of the rumour-related statements correspond to each of the three misinformation tactics introduced by the chatbot and the UNICEF infographic. This measure reflects parents' ability to identify misinformation containing manipulation tactics they were inoculated against and to distinguish true from false information regarding childhood vaccination. Responses will be recorded as "True", "False", or "Don't know". A composite misinformation susceptibility score will be calculated based on the number of correct responses, with higher scores indicating greater ability to identify vaccine misinformation accurately.
次要结局
- Self-efficacy(From enrollment to the endpoint assessment immediately following the intervention during the same survey session (approximately 20-30 minutes))
- Self-efficacy(Through study completion, an average of 20-30 minutes)