The Effect of Feedback on News-Verification Demand: Experimental Evidence (JMP)
Published:
This study is the first to elicit the value individuals place on verifying real headlines, focusing on the role of feedback in shaping verification behavior and confidence. In a lab experiment, 184 participants classified headlines as accurate or fake, reporting their willingness to pay (WTP) for a perfect signal under three feedback conditions: control, individual, and group. Results show that explicit feedback on others’ accuracy reduces the perceived value of verification, potentially discouraging fact-checking. The findings highlight how feedback influences verification demand. By addressing gaps in the existing literature and focusing on Mexico, this study provides novel insights into the design of interventions to combat misinformation.