How effective are TikTok misinformation debunking videos?

Abstract

TikTok provides opportunity for citizen-led debunking where users correct other users’ misinformation. In the present study (N=1,169), participants either watched and rated the credibility of (1) a misinformation video, (2) a correction video, or (3) a misinformation video followed by a correction video (“debunking”). Afterwards, participants rated both a factual and a misinformation video about the same topic and judged the accuracy of the claim furthered by the misinformation video. We found modest evidence for the effectiveness of debunking on people’s ability to subsequently discern between true and false videos, but stronger evidence on subsequent belief in the false claim itself.