Web of lies: a tool for determining the limits of verification in preventing the spread of false information on networks.

ABSTRACT: The spread of false information on social networks has garnered substantial scientific and popular attention. To counteract this spread, verification of the truthfulness of information has been proposed as a key intervention. Using a novel behavioral experiment with over 2000 participants, we analyze participants' willingness to spread false information in a network. All participants in the network have aligned incentives making lying attractive and countering the explicit norm of truth-telling that we impose. We investigate how verifying the truth, endogenously or exogenously, impacts the choice to lie or to adhere to the norm of truth-telling and how this compares to the spread of information in a setting in which such verification is not possible. The three key take-aways are (1) verifi

SUBMITTER: Makovi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7884844 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature