Educating About the Misinformation Effect Prior to Reading Does Not Seem to Reduce It

EasyChair Preprint no. 6139

Abstract

Readers’ engagement with false information is a topic of growing importance. In two experiments, we investigated whether the misinformation effect can be reduced by educating participants about it prior to reading. In both experiments (N = 84 and N = 133), no reduction of the misinformation effect through psychoeducation was observed. Participants in both groups (control and psychoeducation) referenced a similar amount of misinformation after reading false information on items they previously answered correctly. Both reading false and reading neutral information did not change the confidence participants had in answers they previously knew, while reading correct information increased confidence.

Keyphrases: Confidence in Knowledge, misinformation effect, psychoeducation, reading

@Booklet{EasyChair:6139,
  author = {Johanna Xemaire and Steffen Gottschling and Yvonne Kammerer},
  title = {Educating About the Misinformation Effect Prior to Reading Does Not Seem to Reduce It},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 6139},

  year = {EasyChair, 2021}}