Prebunking interventions against climate misinformation: A systematic review on effectiveness and implementation
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Climate misinformation poses a critical challenge by eroding trust in science and undermining support for mitigation policies. Prebunking is a promising preventive strategy to build cognitive resistance. However, a systematic synthesis of its application against climate misinformation is currently lacking. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, ProQuest and by citation searching, yielding 13 articles published between 2017 and 2025. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Overall, inoculation strategies effectively reduced susceptibility to climate misinformation and enhanced trust in climate science. Interventions combining inoculation with scientific consensus messaging showed amplified and sustained positive effects on climate beliefs and policy support. While passive inoculation was most common, active and experiential designs (e.g., role-play, immersive VR) demonstrated significant gains in knowledge and debunking skills. Evidence regarding the effectiveness of targeting specific manipulation techniques was mixed. Notably, only two studies employed longitudinal designs. Inoculation-based interventions represent a promising tool for countering climate misinformation. Future research must prioritize longitudinal, cross-cultural designs to assess effect persistence and scalability, and examine behavioral outcomes to evaluate real-world resistance.
Authors: Giuseppe La Selva, Lucia Monacis, Sander van der Linden
Institutions: University of Foggia, University of Cambridge
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,380
OpenAlex ID: W7148791228