Joint Effect of Accuracy Nudge and Warning Label Interventions on Intention to Share COVID-19 Misinformation

Abstract

The spread of misinformation is a growing problem, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementing multiple psychological interventions simultaneously is a potential approach to countering misinformation, but little is known about the effectiveness of combined interventions. Based on accuracy nudge theory, which posits that inattention to accuracy is the primary driver of misinformation sharing, we hypothesized that accuracy nudges and warning labels would complement each other to enhance their effectiveness in reducing the intention to share misinformation. To investigate, we conducted an online survey with a sample of 1,399 U.S. adults. The results showed that the effect of the accuracy nudge alone was significantly enhanced when combined with the warning label; however, the effect of the warning label alone was not significantly enhanced when combined with the accuracy nudge, suggesting that they do not share a mutually complementary relationship. These findings remained consistent regardless of whether the intervention effects were assessed using sharing intentions for fake headlines or the difference in sharing intentions between fake and real headlines. We discuss potential explanations for and practical implications of these findings.