Work

An accuracy self-nudge to reduce misinformation sharing online.

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Self-nudging interventions enable people to redesign their own environment to encourage choices that are in line with their goals and preferences. Self-nudging is particularly relevant online, where users’ autonomy is endangered by deceptive design and opaque algorithms. To date, experimental research on self-nudging interventions to confront online challenges is scarce. In this pre-registered experimental study (N = 965), participants in the self-nudge condition were informed about a nudge to reduce misinformation sharing and actively decided for or against its implementation during the study; participants in the nudge condition received the nudge without such information nor the option to choose. Both the self-nudge and the nudge increased sharing discernment, but the effect of the self-nudge was stronger. Beside developing an experimental methodology to test self-nudging in a controlled setting, this study provides evidence for the potential of self-nudging to avoid paternalism in the application of behavioral interventions online, without compromising on effectiveness.

Source: Technology Mind and Behavior

DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000221

Authors: Friederike Stock, Ralph Hertwig, Philipp Lorenz-Spreen

Institutions: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Language: English

Topic: Misinformation and Its Impacts

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Volkswagen Foundation, Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung