In a year of global elections, how do we stop the spread of misinformation? ‘Prebunking’ is part of the solution

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In a year of global elections, how do we stop the spread of misinformation? ‘Prebunking’ is part of the solution

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Half the global population are voting in elections in 2024. Many already have. This has prompted concerns about fairness and electoral integrity, particularly with the growth of generative AI. A

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has identified dozens of instances of AI-generated misinformation being used in elections so far this year.

One such example was in January, when residents of New Hampshire received a

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impersonating US President Joe Biden. AI platforms such as

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can produce convincing reproductions of anyone’s voice. In response, the US Federal Communications Commission effectively

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.

However, banning AI-generated content is difficult, if not impossible.

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about his concerns about misinformation and generative AI in elections, Tom Rogers, Australia’s electoral commissioner, acknowledged the risks, but also emphasized the importance of “prebunking” as an essential ingredient to prevent misinformation.

So, what is prebunking and how will it help protect electoral integrity?

What is prebunking?

Prebunking is similar to debunking, but as the name suggests, occurs before misinformation is received.

Prebunking is based on the idea of

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. If we anticipate misinformation, and the tactics used, we can be better at identifying it. Similar to how a vaccine works, prebunking gives your brain the ability to recognize misinformation tactics.

Professor of social psychology Sander Van der Linden and his colleagues have developed a game called

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to better identify these tactics. Players act as a fake news tycoon who has 15 minutes to gain followers without losing credibility.

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show 15 minutes of playing Bad News increases someone’s ability and confidence to detect misinformation.

The

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******** to be seen. However, what these studies demonstrate is that knowledge of misinformation tactics makes them easier to spot. And unfortunately, they are all too common.

Tactics in plain sight

For example, in last year’s Voice to Parliament referendum, ******** National Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price suggested the *********** Electoral Commission remote booths had

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. Remote polling booths recorded a majority “yes” vote. This example demonstrates both attempts to create a *********** and discredit the electoral commission.

Earlier this year, the Tasmanian ******** Party sought to impersonate Jacqui Lambie’s party. In 2019, the ******** Party also

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******** language signs were supposed to look like official electoral commission signs. Both are examples of impersonation.

Labor, too, has used these tactics in the past. In 2022, the party

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the cashless debit card will be expanded to aged pensioners. And in 2016 and 2022, there was the infamous

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, which said there were secret plans to privatize Medicare. Both campaigns used *********** and appeals to emotion.

Prebunking ensures voters can be vigilant. Unlike debunking, prebunking gives voters the capacity to recognize potential deception and manipulation. In March 2022, the electoral commission launched a

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to help combat political misinformation at the 2022 election. It’s focused on disinformation which undermines electoral integrity and confidence in Australia’s democracy. To help voters, the AEC also helped voters understand disinformation

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.

The prebunking attempts by the electoral commission do not comment on misinformation which deceives voters about candidates and policies. Recent elections show that misinformation tactics at *********** elections are as common as a cane toad. And just as ugly.

But what about debunking?

Debunking can be

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in preventing people believing misinformation.

However, this is not effective when people have reasons to accept misinformation as true. Put more simply, preexisting attitudes will shape a person’s evaluation of new information in deciding whether the information is false or misleading. People believe what they want to believe.

Further, some people strongly

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media, and this attitude increases hostility towards fact checkers, who they perceive as acting as propagandists.

Repeated exposure to false claims can lead to people believing them. After all, we only use 10% of our brains. Just kidding! This stat about brain use is a common example of

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becoming accepted knowledge.

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have shown that repeated exposure to misinformation can increase false and inaccurate beliefs, even if the stories point out the falsity.

A bit of both

Unfortunately, prebunking, like debunking, is not a silver bullet. Both show some

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Prebunking can help teach people to spot manipulation. Unlike debunking, prebunking provides a framework for the sceptical to remain vigilant without resorting to conspiracies. Prebunking allows people to examine the motivations of persuaders. In doing so, it builds

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.

However, the research to date indicates prebunking effects may be

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. A potential factor which explains this might be that participants have spent to spend sufficient time engaging with prebunking materials for it to become a

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.

In contrast, while debunking is helpful, the effects are more pronounced among those who already believe and trust that fact checkers are not part of a government ***********. Emerging

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suggests repeated exposure to corrected information can produce changes in attitudes over time.

Cognitive psychology indicates “belief updating” occurs when beliefs and attitudes are weighed against new information. Known as

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, this process takes new information and assesses how it reflects existing beliefs.

An example of this updating is climate change. In 2012,

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of Australians surveyed accepted climate change as real. In 2021, that figure grew to 81%. Over time, the *********** population has updated its views on climate change. This is likely due, at least in part, to a mixture of both prebunking and debunking.

While the next federal election isn’t likely to be held until 2025, prebunking can build confidence in voters’ ability to identify misinformation. Luckily, these simple techniques are easily spotted. With ten months before the next election, there’s plenty of time to practice.

Provided by
The Conversation

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Citation:
In a year of global elections, how do we stop the spread of misinformation? ‘Prebunking’ is part of the solution (2024, July 1)
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