Timing matters when correcting fake news.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive science
• Psychology of misinformation
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Misinformation exposure can reduce belief temporarily, but corrective information fades quickly.
• The timing of fact-checks may influence their long-term effectiveness in combating false beliefs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the timing of fact-checks (before, during, or after exposure) affects long-term truth discernment.
• To understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying belief revision in response to misinformation.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments with 2,683 participants reading social media headlines.
• Fact-check tags (true/false) were presented before, during, or after headline exposure.
• Truth discernment was assessed one week later by rating headline accuracy.

Main Results:

• Providing fact-checks after headline exposure (debunking) significantly enhanced subsequent truth discernment compared to other timings.
• Prebunking and labeling showed less long-term impact on accuracy than debunking.

Conclusions:

• The timing of corrective information is crucial for its lasting effect on belief accuracy.
• Debunking, or providing fact-checks after exposure, offers a more effective strategy for long-term misinformation correction.