Punishment Trumps Warning in Prebunking Misinformation: Evidence From Survey Experiments in Taiwan

There have been many attempts to use prebunking strategies to address the problem of misinformation. While extant research supports their efficacy, it also finds that they could make people suspicious even of true information. This study employs survey experiments in Taiwan to assess the effect of warning messages, with or without mentioning punishments one might incur if spreading misinformation, on people’s beliefs in false and true news, and their subsequent intention to share the information with others. The findings suggest that warning messages mentioning monetary punishments are the most effective in affecting people’s beliefs and intentions to behave.