ABSTRACT

Addressing the spread of inaccurate information online requires learning how social media architectures affect informed decision-making. In search of such an intervention, this team of researchers will conduct one of the most systematic tests to date of the effects of altering information environments by substantially decreasing exposure to untrustworthy sources. Importantly, their intervention will create sustained changes to information exposure over time by encouraging users to mute untrustworthy accounts and measure the effects of this intervention on real-world behavior. In this way, they will assess the extent to which respondents can be nudged to alter the set of accounts to which they are exposed and thus the information they consume and engage with online. Through this study, the team will help popularize a design approach that combines a paired individual-level survey and social media data, providing a new framework for conducting and evaluating online behavioral interventions. Use of this design will provide a building block for future research on the effects of online information exposure on offline behavior. Finally, using the results of this study, researchers will be able to provide important guidance to platforms, policymakers, and researchers about how to most effectively counter inaccurate information about Covid-19 and other topics.

PROJECT TEAM

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