Strategies to combat misinformation: Enduring effects of a 15-minute online intervention on critical-thinking adolescents

Abstract

How is it possible to socialize adolescents to become more vigilant in spotting fake news? In the present preregistered, randomized controlled trial (N = 1476), we aimed to implement a scalable, online counter-misinformation intervention by promoting family-based prosocial values and putting them in an expert role to build resistance against misinformation among adolescents. In this intervention, participants were endowed with an expert role and requested to write a letter to their digitally less experienced relatives elucidating six strategies to identify misinformation. We found immediate effects of the intervention (d = 0.17), but these effects disappeared after four weeks. However, those high school students who followed the instructions (N = 791) and had a higher need for cognition demonstrated a substantial benefit in correctly spotting fake news four weeks after the intervention compared to the control group (d+1 SD need for cognition = 0.28, d+2 SD need for cognition = 0.51). The present work demonstrates the power of using classic social psychological components, such as a digital mindset, expertise role, and prosocial strategies, to achieve long-term behavioral change among certain adolescents. Our approach might complement prior nudge and inoculation interventions in the fight against misinformation in this age group.