Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19

Although correction is often suggested as a tool against misinformation, and empirical research suggests it can be an effective one, we know little about how people perceive the act of correcting people on social media. This study measures such perceptions in the context of the onset of the COVID-1...

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Main Authors: Leticia Bode, Emily Vraga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: HOPE 2021-04-01
Series:Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalqd.org/article/view/2550
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author Leticia Bode
Emily Vraga
author_facet Leticia Bode
Emily Vraga
author_sort Leticia Bode
collection DOAJ
description Although correction is often suggested as a tool against misinformation, and empirical research suggests it can be an effective one, we know little about how people perceive the act of correcting people on social media. This study measures such perceptions in the context of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, introducing the concept of value for correction. We find that value for correction on social media is relatively strong and widespread, with no differences by partisanship or gender. Neither those who engage in correction themselves nor those witnessing the correction of others have higher value for correction. Witnessing correction, on the other hand, is associated with lower concerns about negative consequences of correction, whereas engaging in correction is not.
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series Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
spelling doaj-art-5ff590d0f778440a9835ca054f65e1fa2025-08-20T03:36:54ZengHOPEJournal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media2673-88132021-04-01110.51685/jqd.2021.016Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19 Leticia Bode0Emily VragaGeorgetown University Although correction is often suggested as a tool against misinformation, and empirical research suggests it can be an effective one, we know little about how people perceive the act of correcting people on social media. This study measures such perceptions in the context of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, introducing the concept of value for correction. We find that value for correction on social media is relatively strong and widespread, with no differences by partisanship or gender. Neither those who engage in correction themselves nor those witnessing the correction of others have higher value for correction. Witnessing correction, on the other hand, is associated with lower concerns about negative consequences of correction, whereas engaging in correction is not. https://journalqd.org/article/view/2550social mediamisinformationcorrection
spellingShingle Leticia Bode
Emily Vraga
Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media
social media
misinformation
correction
title Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
title_full Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
title_fullStr Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
title_short Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19
title_sort value for correction documenting perceptions about peer correction of misinformation on social media in the context of covid 19
topic social media
misinformation
correction
url https://journalqd.org/article/view/2550
work_keys_str_mv AT leticiabode valueforcorrectiondocumentingperceptionsaboutpeercorrectionofmisinformationonsocialmediainthecontextofcovid19
AT emilyvraga valueforcorrectiondocumentingperceptionsaboutpeercorrectionofmisinformationonsocialmediainthecontextofcovid19