Facebook's reluctance to fact-check conspiracy theories is based on an outdated “backfire” theory; experiments show fact-checks and debunkings are effective
a zombie theory from the research literature circa 2008 that has all but been abandoned since." https://www.wired.com/... Stephan Lewandowsky / @stworg : Very interesting piece by @EthanVPorter and @thomasjwood on why Facebook is reticent to check facts: https://www.wired.com/... They attribute it mainly to “zombie” backfire effect (BF). BF is a werewolf (only occurs at midnight on Tuesdays in Widgiemooltha) 1/n
Opinion: In the midst of the current pandemic, access to factually accurate information is more important than ever. The academic research is clear. Fact-checks work. People don't backfire. Social media companies should behave accordingly. https://www.wired.com/...
“[The “backfire effect"] has not, in fact, been “shown” or demonstrated in any thorough way. Rather, it's a bogeyman—a zombie theory from the research literature circa 2008 that has all but been abandoned since." https://www.wired.com/...
Very interesting piece by @EthanVPorter and @thomasjwood on why Facebook is reticent to check facts: https://www.wired.com/... They attribute it mainly to “zombie” backfire effect (BF). BF is a werewolf (only occurs at midnight on Tuesdays in Widgiemooltha) 1/n