Willingness to Verify News Headlines: Experimental Evidence from Mexico
Published:
This study explores the determinants of individuals’ demand for verification. We measure this demand in a laboratory setting by eliciting participants’ willingness to pay (WTP) to verify whether a headline is accurate or contains misinformation. The experimental design holds constant the payoffs from correct classification, the accuracy of the verification signal, and the baseline probability of misinformation. By abstracting from these elements—which jointly determine the value of verification in the field—we isolate the effects of feedback, political content, and participants’ political positions on verification behavior. We analyze how both WTP and confidence respond to feedback and to the political content of headlines, and we compare observed verification demand to a theoretical benchmark in which verification is purely accuracy-motivated.