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Fact-checker warning labels are effective even for those who distrust fact-checkers

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Abstract

Warning labels from professional fact-checkers are one of the most widely used interventions against online misinformation. But are fact-checker warning labels effective for those who distrust fact-checkers? Here, in a first correlational study (N = 1,000), we validate a measure of trust in fact-checkers. Next, we conduct meta-analyses across 21 experiments (total N = 14,133) in which participants evaluated true and false news posts and were randomized to either see no warning labels or to see warning labels on a high proportion of the false posts. Warning labels were on average effective at reducing belief in (27.6% reduction), and sharing of (24.7% reduction), false headlines. While warning effects were smaller for participants with less trust in fact-checkers, warning labels nonetheless significantly reduced belief in (12.9% reduction), and sharing of (16.7% reduction), false news even for those most distrusting of fact-checkers. These results suggest that fact-checker warning labels are a broadly effective tool for combatting misinformation.

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Fig. 1: Experimental stimuli.
Fig. 2: Relationship between TFC, partisanship and individual differences.
Fig. 3: Warnings reduce perceived accuracy even for participants who strongly distrust fact-checkers.
Fig. 4: Warning label effects on accuracy by TFC decile.
Fig. 5: Meta-analyses of warning effect on sharing intentions by TFC.
Fig. 6: Warning label effects on sharing by TFC decile.

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Data availability

All data are available on our OSF page (https://osf.io/yux4d/).

Code availability

All analysis codes are available on our OSF page (https://osf.io/yux4d/).

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Acknowledgements

We thank N. Stagnaro and A. Arechar for invaluable assistance with survey experiment data collection. We also thank B. Tappin and A. Bear for insightful comments on statistical procedures. We gratefully acknowledge funding via the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, grant number 174530. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Cameron Martel & David G. Rand

  2. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    David G. Rand

  3. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    David G. Rand

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Contributions

C.M. and D.G.R. designed the studies and experiments. C.M. implemented the study design, collected the data and analysed the data. C.M. drafted the paper. D.G.R. provided critical revisions. All authors approved the final paper for submission.

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Correspondence to Cameron Martel.

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Other work by D.G.R. has been funded by gifts from Meta and Google. The remaining author declares no competing interests.

Ethics and Inclusion statement

Our experimental procedures were approved by the MIT Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (protocol numbers E-2443 and E-4195).

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Martel, C., Rand, D.G. Fact-checker warning labels are effective even for those who distrust fact-checkers. Nat Hum Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01973-x

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