Combating Disinformation - Effects of Timing and Correction Format on Factual Knowledge and Personal Beliefs.

Although the need to understand the mechanisms of disinformation correction has been recognized, research on the effects of different forms of correcting messages is still scarce. Based on assumptions of the continued influence effect, we tested in a 2 (detailed versus simple correction) x 2 (immediate versus belated correction) between-subjects experimental study (N = 221) whether more detailed corrections are more effective in reducing misperceptions than simple corrections and whether they are particularly influential when presented belatedly. Results demonstrate that detailed corrections indeed lead to higher recall of correct facts but do not reduce concerns regarding the topic of the disinformation. When more detailed corrections are presented immediately together with the disinformation, they even seem to be counterproductive as they foster personal beliefs that are related to the disinformation. Regarding factual knowledge, the effect is reversed: When presented immediately with the disinformation, detailed corrections lead to a higher recall of correct facts than simple corrections. This suggests that we need to combat the influence of disinformation on factual knowledge and on personal beliefs in different ways.