Does the effect of repeated exposure to fact-checks to combat misinformation vary over time? Evidence from a field experiment in the Global South

Last registered on October 18, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Does the effect of repeated exposure to fact-checks to combat misinformation vary over time? Evidence from a field experiment in the Global South
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0009517
Initial registration date
May 30, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 06, 2022, 5:17 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
October 18, 2022, 11:58 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
South Africa
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Shelley Liu
Affiliation
UC Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Kevin Croke
PI Affiliation
Harvard University
PI Name
Jeremy Bowles
PI Affiliation
Stanford University
PI Name
Horacio Larreguy
PI Affiliation
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
PI Name
John Marshall
PI Affiliation
Columbia University

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2020-10-23
End date
2023-09-30
Keywords
Behavior, Governance, Health
Additional Keywords
Misinformation
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
Potentially harmful misinformation runs rampant on social media in many countries. We explore whether repeated exposure to fact-checks can inoculate citizens against misinformation by increasing their social media literacy. In the initial phase of this study, we partnered with Africa Check to deliver variants of a fact-checking podcast or text messages to around 4,500 recruited participants in South Africa twice a month for six months. This study follows up with the same set of participants to examine the longer term effects of this intervention, between 6 months and one year after the initial study had concluded. This follow-up study seeks to understand the longevity of fact-checking and inoculation efforts, with significant policy implications for combating misinformation. It also estimates the dynamic effects over three periods: after three months of exposure to treatment, after six months of exposure to treatment, and around nine months after treatment concluded.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bowles, Jeremy et al. 2022. "Does the effect of repeated exposure to fact-checks to combat misinformation vary over time? Evidence from a field experiment in the Global South." AEA RCT Registry. October 18. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.9517-1.1
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
In the initial phase of this study, we partnered with Africa Check to deliver variants of a fact-checking podcast or text messages to around 4,500 recruited participants in South Africa twice a month for six months. This study follows up with the same set of participants to examine the longer term effects of this intervention, between 6 months and one year after the initial study had concluded.
Intervention Start Date
2020-10-23
Intervention End Date
2023-09-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
We investigate the following groups of outcomes:
1. Increased knowledge of information covered by treatment delivery.
2. Knowledge and discernment of misinformation circulating online.
3. Trust in social media platforms
4. Consumption, verification, and sharing
5. Attitudes and behaviors towards COVID-19 and politics
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Detailed discussion included in PAP.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Study participants are randomly assigned to either control or one treatment group. The treatments are distinguished along three dimensions: (1) mode of information delivery; (2) messaging encouraging information consumption; (3) whether participants are incentivized to take up the treatment.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
We block randomize batches of participants into treatment conditions once every two weeks. We block on a set of variables including demographic characteristics, social media usage, attitudes towards different media sources, and knowledge regarding pieces of misinformation.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Information included in PAP.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Information included in PAP.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Information included in PAP.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Committee for Protection of Human Subjects, UC Berkeley
IRB Approval Date
2020-08-13
IRB Approval Number
2020-07-13490
IRB Name
Human Research Protection Office, Columbia University
IRB Approval Date
2020-09-01
IRB Approval Number
IRB-AAAT2554
IRB Name
Harvard University Committee on the Use of Human Subjects
IRB Approval Date
2020-08-06
IRB Approval Number
IRB20-1322
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials