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Bou-Hamad I, Hoteit R. Factors motivating lebanese youth to adopt COVID-19 good practices: a cross-sectional study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:987187. [PMID: 37457278 PMCID: PMC10340084 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.987187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It is now widely acknowledged that young people can be asymptomatic carriers of the COVID-19 virus. While vaccines are successful, COVID-19 good practices continue to be useful in controlling the virus transmission. This study aimed to investigate the associated risk factors impacting the youths' adoption of COVID-19 good practices in Lebanon. Methods Data were collected through an online survey. The analyzed sample included 602 young people. Results Our results indicate that around half the youth sample in our study adhere to COVID-19 good practices. COVID-19 good practices are more likely to be adopted by individuals who are more worried about their health and those who live with their partners. Furthermore, media trust was a significant predictor of COVID-19 good practices. Conclusion Media can play a larger role in promoting good practices through youth-targeted programs. By identifying community influencers and encouraging peer-to-peer communication, it is possible to engage youth who distrust the media and persuade them to adopt COVID-19 good practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imad Bou-Hamad
- Department of Business Information and Decision Systems, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Reem Hoteit
- Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Adam S, Urman A, Arlt D, Gil-Lopez T, Makhortykh M, Maier M. Media Trust and the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Short-Term Trust Changes, Their Ideological Drivers and Consequences in Switzerland. Communic Res 2023; 50:205-229. [PMID: 38603413 PMCID: PMC9663272 DOI: 10.1177/00936502221127484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We analyze short-term media trust changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, their ideological drivers and consequences based on panel data in German-speaking Switzerland. We thereby differentiate trust in political information from different types of traditional and non-traditional media. COVID-19 serves as a natural experiment, in which citizens' media trust at the outbreak of the crisis is compared with the same variables after the severe lockdown measures were lifted. Our data reveal that (1) media trust is consequential as it is associated with people's willingness to follow Covid-19 regulations; (2) media trust changes during the pandemic, with trust levels for most media decreasing, with the exception of public service broadcasting; (3) trust losses are hardly connected to ideological divides in Switzerland. Our findings highlight that public service broadcasting plays an exceptional role in the fight against a pandemic and that contrary to the US, no partisan trust divide occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aleksandra Urman
- University of Bern, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Schäfer M, Stark B, Werner AM, Mülder LM, Reichel JL, Heller S, Schwab L, Rigotti T, Beutel ME, Simon P, Letzel S, Dietz P. Informiert = Geimpft? Das Informationsverhalten und die COVID-19-Impfentscheidung bei Studierenden. Publizistik 2023. [PMCID: PMC9879251 DOI: 10.1007/s11616-023-00779-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Eine zu geringe Impfbereitschaft zählt zu den größten globalen Gesundheitsgefahren und war in der COVID-19-Pandemie auch in Deutschland eine der großen Herausforderungen der öffentlichen Gesundheit. Die Identifikation potenzieller Einflussfaktoren auf das Impfverhalten ist deshalb für eine zielgruppengerechte Gesundheitskommunikation von großer Bedeutung. Studierende sind eine besonders wichtige Zielgruppe der Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung. Der Beitrag geht mit Hilfe einer Online-Befragung der Studierenden einer westdeutschen Universität (n = 1398) im Sommersemester 2021 den Fragen nach, inwieweit sich geimpfte und ungeimpfte Studierende mit hoher bzw. niedrigerer Impfintention hinsichtlich a) ihrer Medien- und Informationsnutzung und b) ihres Vertrauens in Medien und Informationsquellen in der COVID-19-Pandemie unterschieden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen z. T. deutliche Differenzen. Während geimpfte Studierende sich intensiver informierten und hierfür auch stärker auf klassische Medienangebote zurückgriifen, vertrauten insbesondere ungeimpfte Studierende mit niedrigerer Impfintention u. a. mehr auf alternative Nachrichtenseiten und Blogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Schäfer
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Publizistik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Birgit Stark
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Publizistik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Antonia M. Werner
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Str. 8, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Lina M. Mülder
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Arbeits‑, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie, Institut für Psychologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Jennifer L. Reichel
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Arbeits‑, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Sebastian Heller
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Arbeits‑, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Lisa Schwab
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Sportwissenschaft, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Albert Schweitzer Straße 22, 55128 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Rigotti
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Arbeits‑, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie, Institut für Psychologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Deutschland ,grid.509458.50000 0004 8087 0005Leibniz Institut für Resilienzforschung, Wallstr. 7a, 55122 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Manfred E. Beutel
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Str. 8, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Perikles Simon
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Sportwissenschaft, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Albert Schweitzer Straße 22, 55128 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Stephan Letzel
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Arbeits‑, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
| | - Pavel Dietz
- grid.5802.f0000 0001 1941 7111Institut für Arbeits‑, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland
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Huang J, Ren W, Wang S, Zhou Y, Yang Y. Positive Emotion and Media Dependence: Measuring Risk Information Seeking and Perception in the COVID-19 Pandemic Prevention. Inquiry 2023; 60:469580231159747. [PMID: 36919995 PMCID: PMC10018251 DOI: 10.1177/00469580231159747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Risk perception and information seeking behaviors are affected by individual psychological and situational factors. In the background of COVID-19 prevailing for a long period, this study examined Chinese people's information seeking and processing behavior by the RISP model, which focused on the impact of individual risk perception, affective response, perceived information-gathering capacity, and media trust and the impact of the above factors on information seeking. This study designed an online survey with gender and age quotas among the Chinese population, including a total of 675 valid samples. It was found that the Chinese public's risk perception to pandemic had a positive effect on perceived information-gathering capacity and media trust. Furthermore, both positive emotional responses and negative emotional responses had a positive effect on information seeking behavior. Nurturing positive emotion engendered a holistic perception in pandemic information seeking. In addition, media trust, perceived information-gathering capacity, and subjective norms also positively impact information seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yifan Zhou
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya Yang
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Zhang D, Su F, Meng X, Zhang Z. Impact of media trust and personal epidemic experience on epidemic prevention behaviors in the context of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study based on protection motivation theory. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1137692. [PMID: 37124803 PMCID: PMC10133695 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1137692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to elucidate the impact of media trust on epidemic prevention motivation and behaviors based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and to evaluate the moderation effect of personal epidemic experience, which focused on the differences in two groups with or without epidemic experience. Methods The exogenous constructs and PMT model and scale were constructed through literature analysis, and a web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among 428 individuals aged above 18 years in China. Statistical analysis and hypothesis testing were performed in SPSS 26 and SmartPLS 3. Results Traditional media trust accounted for the largest weight in media trust (w = 0.492, p-value < 0.001), followed by social media (w = 0.463, p-value < 0.001), and interpersonal communication (w = 0.290, p-value < 0.001). Media trust was positively and significantly related to both threat appraisal (β = 0.210, p-value < 0.001) and coping appraisal (β = 0.260, p-value < 0.001). Threat appraisal (β = 0.105, p-value < 0.05) and coping appraisal (β = 0.545, p-value < 0.001) were positively and significantly related to epidemic prevention motivation, which positively and significantly related to epidemic prevention behaviors (β = 0.492, p-value < 0.001). The R2 values of epidemic prevention motivation and behavior are 0.350 and 0.240, respectively, indicating an acceptable explanation. Multiple-group analysis revealed five significant differences in paths between the two groups, indicating personal epidemic experience acting as a slight moderator on these paths. Conclusion Traditional media trust and social media trust were the important elements in COVID-19 prevention and control, and public health departments and governments should ensure the accuracy and reliability of information from traditional and social media. Simultaneously, the media should balance threat information and efficacy information in order to generate the public's prevention motivation and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhang
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Pharmaceutical Economic Management Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Institute of Health Development, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Fan Su
- College of Humanities and Management, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaoxia Meng
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Pharmaceutical Economic Management Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Institute of Health Development, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- School of Accounting, Dianchi College of Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Zhixin Zhang,
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Tkhostov AS, Rikel AM, Vialkova MY. Fake News through the Eyes of Three Generations of Russians: Differences and Similarities in Social Representations. Psychol Russ 2022; 15:83-102. [PMID: 36699812 PMCID: PMC9845006 DOI: 10.11621/pir.2022.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The problem of fake news becomes especially prominent during periods of social exacerbation, such as the coronavirus pandemic, wherein the events have a significant impact on many lives. Generational differences are considered as a factor affecting perceptions of the reliability of news. Objective The aim of this study was to reveal and compare the social representations of information reliability and news verification criteria among people belonging to the Generation of Reforms (born 1968-1981), the Millennial Generation (1982-2000) and Generation Z (2001 and later) in Russia. Design The study involved 431 participants and was comprised of two stages: focus groups and a survey. The data analysis methods employed were thematic analysis, qualitative and quantitative content analysis, coefficient of positive answers (according to J. Abric), Kruskal-Wallis H test, Pearson's chi-square test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and Kendall's t-rank correlation coefficient. Results We have found significant differences between the Generation of Reforms (CPA: 80,5; p = 0,000) and Generation Z (CPA: 90,2; p = 0,000), and similarities between the Millennial Generation (CPA: 90,3; p = 0,000) and Generation Z, in the structure and content of social representations regarding "fakes". Notably, Generation Z favors a fact-checking strategy to identify news reliability, while "Reformists" rely on offline contacts. Conclusion Generations in Russia differ with respect to their tolerance of "fakes" and their strategies for news verification. The results advance our understanding of "fakes" as purely social constructs. The attribution of media incompetence to older and younger cohorts by each other was discussed as the generational conflict.
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Han R, Xu J, Pan D. How Media Exposure, Media Trust, and Media Bias Perception Influence Public Evaluation of COVID-19 Pandemic in International Metropolises. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:3942. [PMID: 35409623 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
International metropolises are key sites of outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. Global public evaluation of the pandemic in international cities is affected by many factors. This study examines how media exposure affects this evaluation and how media trust and media bias perception moderate the relationship between them. Based on an online survey of the evaluation of 13 international cities’ pandemic performances by 1171 citizens from 11 countries, this study conducted a multi-level stepwise regression analysis and discovered that: (1) different forms of media affect global citizens’ perceptions of international metropolis COVID-19 pandemic performance differently; and the role of traditional paper media, including newspapers and magazines, is of little significance in comparison to electronic media. (2) Among electronic media, TV and broadcasting have the greatest impact, followed by social media and the Internet. (3) Media trust and media bias perception affect people’s evaluations of international urban pandemics, but our survey reveals that they only function with regard to social media.
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Abstract
Background Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Communication and media environments are potential drivers of vaccine hesitancy. It is worthwhile to examine the relationship between social media use and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Objective This study aims to understand the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Methods Questionnaires were administered to 463 participants in mainland China. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, and linear regression models were utilized to examine the prevalence and influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in China, as well as the relationship between social media use, media trust, health information literacy, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Results Lack of confidence and risk were identified as factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Age, occupation status and income levels were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. In addition, we observed that frequency of social media use, diversity of social media use, media trust and health information literacy were significantly correlated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion Increased frequency and diversity of social media use, media trust and health information literacy can mitigate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and promote COVID-19 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ouyang
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaohan Ma
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiang Wu
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Zimand-Sheiner D, Kol O, Frydman S, Levy S. To Be (Vaccinated) or Not to Be: The Effect of Media Exposure, Institutional Trust, and Incentives on Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccination. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:12894. [PMID: 34948501 PMCID: PMC8702102 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182412894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 vaccine has become a strategic vehicle for reducing the spread of the pandemic. However, the uptake of the vaccine by the public is more complicated than simply making it available. Based on social learning theory, this study examines the role of communication sources and institutional trust as barriers and incentives as motivators of people's attitudes toward vaccination and actual vaccination. Data were collected via an online panel survey among Israelis aged 18-55 and then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that social media trust negatively mediates the effect of exposure to information on the vaccine on attitudes toward vaccination. However, mass media trust and institutional trust positively mediate this relationship. Incentives were effective motivators for forming positive attitudes and moderating the effect of institutional trust on attitude toward vaccination. This study facilitates a deeper understanding of health communication theory in pandemics and makes important recommendations for practitioners and policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ofrit Kol
- School of Communication, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Smadar Frydman
- Doctoral School, Jaume I University, 12071 Castelló de la Plana, Spain;
| | - Shalom Levy
- Department of Economics and Business Administration, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
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Li Z, Sun X. Analysis of the Impact of Media Trust on the Public's Motivation to Receive Future Vaccinations for COVID-19 Based on Protection Motivation Theory. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9121401. [PMID: 34960147 PMCID: PMC8708237 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9121401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Object: Media trust is one of the essential factors affecting health behavior. Based on the protection motivation theory (PMT), this study explores the impact of different public media trust (traditional media, social media, interpersonal communication) on future COVID-19 vaccine motivation. Methods: The online survey was conducted from 14 April to 30 April 2021, and 2098 adults were recruited to participate in the online survey through the Wenjuanxing online survey platform. The survey included the PMT constructs (threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and motivation for future COVID-19 vaccination), trust in different media, vaccine hesitation reasons, and implementation of other non-pharmaceutical interventions. Structural equation model (SEM) was used for latent variable analysis, and Spearman linear correlation coefficient matrix was used to explore the relationships between variables. Results: In terms of trust in different media, participants who had a higher education level (p = 0.038), who was married (p = 0.002), and who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 during the survey (p = 0.002) show greater trust in traditional media. Participants who were married (p = 0.001), who had a relatively high income (p = 0.020), and who had not been vaccinated (p = 0.044) show greater trust in social media. Older participants (p < 0.001) and married (p < 0.001) showed greater trust in interpersonal communication. In the structural equation, trust in traditional media had a direct positive impact on perceived severity (β = 0.172, p < 0.001) and a direct negative impact on internal rewards (β = -0.061, p < 0.05). Trust in both traditional and social media separately had a direct positive impact on self-efficacy (β = 0.327, p < 0.001; β = 0.138, p < 0.001) and response efficiency (β = 0.250, p < 0.001; β = 0.097, p < 0.05) and a direct negative impact on response costs (β = -0.329, p < 0.001; β = -0.114, p < 0.001). Trust in interpersonal communication had a direct positive impact on external rewards (β = 0.186, p < 0.001) and response costs (β = 0.091, p < 0.001). Overall, traditional media trust had an indirect positive influence on vaccine motivation (β = 0.311), social media trust had an indirect positive influence on vaccine motivation (β = 0.110), and interpersonal communication had an indirect negative influence on vaccine motivation (β = -0.022). Conclusion: This study supports the use of PMT as an intermediate variable to explore the effect of media trust on vaccination intention. High trust in traditional media has helped reduce vaccine hesitation, increased the public's future COVID-19 vaccination motivation, and maintained other non-pharmacological interventions. Social media also had a certain promotion effect on vaccine motivation. In this context, attention should also be paid to interpersonal communication, and the science publicity work was suggested for an individual's family members and friends in the future to improve the quality and ability of interpersonal communication.
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Abstract
Reducing the spread of misinformation, especially on social media, is a major challenge. We investigate one potential approach: having social media platform algorithms preferentially display content from news sources that users rate as trustworthy. To do so, we ask whether crowdsourced trust ratings can effectively differentiate more versus less reliable sources. We ran two preregistered experiments (n = 1,010 from Mechanical Turk and n = 970 from Lucid) where individuals rated familiarity with, and trust in, 60 news sources from three categories: (i) mainstream media outlets, (ii) hyperpartisan websites, and (iii) websites that produce blatantly false content ("fake news"). Despite substantial partisan differences, we find that laypeople across the political spectrum rated mainstream sources as far more trustworthy than either hyperpartisan or fake news sources. Although this difference was larger for Democrats than Republicans-mostly due to distrust of mainstream sources by Republicans-every mainstream source (with one exception) was rated as more trustworthy than every hyperpartisan or fake news source across both studies when equally weighting ratings of Democrats and Republicans. Furthermore, politically balanced layperson ratings were strongly correlated (r = 0.90) with ratings provided by professional fact-checkers. We also found that, particularly among liberals, individuals higher in cognitive reflection were better able to discern between low- and high-quality sources. Finally, we found that excluding ratings from participants who were not familiar with a given news source dramatically reduced the effectiveness of the crowd. Our findings indicate that having algorithms up-rank content from trusted media outlets may be a promising approach for fighting the spread of misinformation on social media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Pennycook
- Hill/Levene Schools of Business, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada;
| | - David G Rand
- Sloan School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02138;
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Abstract
Many people consume news via social media. It is therefore desirable to reduce social media users’ exposure to low-quality news content. One possible intervention is for social media ranking algorithms to show relatively less content from sources that users deem to be untrustworthy. But are laypeople’s judgments reliable indicators of quality, or are they corrupted by either partisan bias or lack of information? Perhaps surprisingly, we find that laypeople—on average—are quite good at distinguishing between lower- and higher-quality sources. These results indicate that incorporating the trust ratings of laypeople into social media ranking algorithms may prove an effective intervention against misinformation, fake news, and news content with heavy political bias. Reducing the spread of misinformation, especially on social media, is a major challenge. We investigate one potential approach: having social media platform algorithms preferentially display content from news sources that users rate as trustworthy. To do so, we ask whether crowdsourced trust ratings can effectively differentiate more versus less reliable sources. We ran two preregistered experiments (n = 1,010 from Mechanical Turk and n = 970 from Lucid) where individuals rated familiarity with, and trust in, 60 news sources from three categories: (i) mainstream media outlets, (ii) hyperpartisan websites, and (iii) websites that produce blatantly false content (“fake news”). Despite substantial partisan differences, we find that laypeople across the political spectrum rated mainstream sources as far more trustworthy than either hyperpartisan or fake news sources. Although this difference was larger for Democrats than Republicans—mostly due to distrust of mainstream sources by Republicans—every mainstream source (with one exception) was rated as more trustworthy than every hyperpartisan or fake news source across both studies when equally weighting ratings of Democrats and Republicans. Furthermore, politically balanced layperson ratings were strongly correlated (r = 0.90) with ratings provided by professional fact-checkers. We also found that, particularly among liberals, individuals higher in cognitive reflection were better able to discern between low- and high-quality sources. Finally, we found that excluding ratings from participants who were not familiar with a given news source dramatically reduced the effectiveness of the crowd. Our findings indicate that having algorithms up-rank content from trusted media outlets may be a promising approach for fighting the spread of misinformation on social media.
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