Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/273799 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper No. TI 2022-086/II
Publisher: 
Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Abstract: 
Misinformation is linked to increased social divisions and adverse health outcomes. While most research focuses on the spread of misinformation, we examine the production of misinformation intended to mislead (disinformation). Our field experiment (N=1,200) found, adjusting for circumstantial factors, 87% of workers in an online labor market completed a job requesting them to create a misleading COVID-19 graph. Viewing a disinformation graph from the experiment negatively affected people's beliefs and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased vaccine hesitancy. Using a "wisdom-of-crowds" approach, we highlight how online labor markets can introduce features that may reduce the production of disinformation.
Subjects: 
disinformation
field experiment
online labor markets
immoral work
JEL: 
C93
D91
J22
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
1.44 MB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.