Effects of health misinformation on misbeliefs: understanding the moderating roles of different types of knowledge
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society
ISSN: 1477-996X
Article publication date: 19 October 2022
Issue publication date: 31 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Health misinformation poses severe risks to people’s health decisions and outcomes. A great deal of research in this area has focused on debunking misinformation and found limited effects of correctives after misinformation exposure. The research on prebunking strategies has been inadequate. Most has focused on forewarning and enhancing literacy skills and knowledge to recognize misinformation. Part of the reason for the inadequacy could be due to the challenges in conceptualizing and measuring knowledge. This study intends to fill this gap and examines various types of knowledge, including subjective knowledge, cancer literacy, persuasion knowledge and media literacy. This study aims to understand how knowledge may moderate the effect of misinformation exposure on misbeliefs.
Design/methodology/approach
An online experiment with a basic experimental design (misinformation exposure: health misinformation vs factual health message) was conducted. The authors measured and tested the moderating role of different types of knowledge (subjective knowledge, cancer literacy, persuasion knowledge and media literacy) separately to improve the understanding of their role in combatting online health misinformation.
Findings
This study found that a higher level of cancer literacy and persuasion knowledge helped people identify misinformation and prevented them from being persuaded by it. A higher level of subjective knowledge, however, reduced the recognition of misinformation, thereby increasing the likelihood of being persuaded by it. Media literacy did not moderate the mediation path.
Originality/value
This study differentiates the role different types of knowledge may have played in moderating the influence of health misinformation. It contributes to a strategic development of interventions that better prepare people against the influence of health misinformation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: The study was funded by RTI International.
Disclosure: No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.
Citation
Wang, W. and Jacobson, S. (2023), "Effects of health misinformation on misbeliefs: understanding the moderating roles of different types of knowledge", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 76-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-02-2022-0015
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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