Scrolling for the truth (or not): Perceptions of misinformation on TikTok and potential interventions

Brittany Shivers (PhD Student) and Bartosz Wojdynski. “Scrolling for the truth (or not): Perceptions of misinformation on TikTok and potential interventions.” Accepted for presentation at the 49th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium regional conference, March 7-9, 2024, Lexington, KY.

Abstract: Two experiments examined users’ perceptions of message credibility, source quality, and news source trust of true or false TikTok videos about monkeypox. Study 1 tested the impact of information type (true vs. false) and source (journalist vs. influencer) on users’ perceptions of TikTok videos with party identification as a moderator. Participants rated message credibility and source quality higher for true videos and videos with a journalistic source. Study 2 tested the efficacy of three potential misinformation interventions through psychological reactance with the banner label having a positive effect on reactance and the PSA pre-roll video having a negative main effect on perceived message credibility of the TikTok misinformation video. Reactance itself had a negative effect on perceived message credibility and source quality. In both studies, participants had difficulty discerning between true and false claims.