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Mobilizing Users: Does Exposure to Misinformation and Its Correction Affect Users' Responses to a Health Misinformation Post?
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Mobilizing Users: Does Exposure to Misinformation and Its Correction Affect Users' Responses to a Health Misinformation Post?

Melissa Tully, Leticia Bode and Emily K. Vraga
Social media + society, Vol.6(4), p.205630512097837
10/01/2020
DOI: 10.1177/2056305120978377
url
https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120978377View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Misinformation spreads on social media when users engage with it, but users can also respond to correct it. Using an experimental design, we examine how exposure to misinformation and correction on Twitter about unpasteurized milk affects participants' likelihood of responding to the misinformation, and we code open-ended responses to see what participants would say if they did respond. Results suggest that participants are overall unlikely to reply to the misinformation tweet. However, content analysis of hypothetical replies suggests they largely do provide correct information, especially after seeing other corrections. These results suggest that user corrections offer untapped potential in responding to misinformation on social media but effort must be made to consider how users can be mobilized to provide corrections given their general unwillingness to reply.
Social Sciences Communication

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