Work

In what style shall I confront them? The role of social relationships in social correction of misinformation among the UK and Arab Social media users

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates how social factors influence the likelihood of employing direct or indirect communication styles when correcting misinformation on social media in two different cultural contexts, the United Kingdom (UK) and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. We conducted an online survey, supported by vignettes, that involved 686 participants, 367 from the UK and 319 from the Arab GCC countries. Participants were presented with a misinformation scenario and asked about their likelihood of using direct or indirect communication styles to correct their acquaintances. The survey captured variations in gender similarity (same vs. different gender), social status (lower vs. qual vs. higher), and social distance (close vs. distant) between the participants and the misinformation posters. The results indicated that Arab participants were more likely than their UK counterparts to use the direct correction style. Furthermore, social factors significantly influenced corrective behaviours in both groups. Participants were less inclined to correct someone of a different gender, higher social status, or someone who was socially distant from them. The gender factor played a significant role in the UK context, whereas in the Arab context, it was less influential. These findings provide valuable insights for designing relationship-aware and culturally tailored interventions (e.g., features or prompts on social media platforms) that promote social corrections. • We examine how individuals use communication styles to combat misinformation in UK and Arab social media. • Cultural context impacts correction styles: Arabs favour direct communication more than UK participants. • Users are less inclined to correct someone of different gender, higher status, or who is socially distant in both contexts. • The gender factor plays a significant role in influencing communication styles usage in the UK context only.

Source: International Journal of Intercultural Relations

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102342

Authors: Muaadh Noman, Mohamed B. Almourad, Ala Yankouskaya, Firoj Alam, Raian Ali

Institutions: Hamad bin Khalifa University, Zayed University, Bournemouth University

Language: English

Topic: Misinformation and Its Impacts

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,420