‘But wait, that isn't real’: A proof‐of‐concept study evaluating ‘Project Real’, a co‐created intervention that helps young people to spot fake news online

Skipper, Yvonne; Jolley, Daniel; Reddington, Joseph

Abstract

As misinformation is one of the top risks facing the world today, it is vital to ensure that young people have the confidence and skills to recognize fake news. Therefore, we used co-creation to develop an intervention (called ‘Project Real’) and tested its efficacy in a proof-of-concept study. One hundred and twenty-six pupils aged 11–13 completed questionnaires before and after the intervention that measured confidence and ability to recognize fake news and the number of checks they would make before sharing news. Twenty-seven pupils and three teachers participated in follow-up discussions to evaluate Project Real. Quantitative data indicated that Project Real increased participants' confidence in recognizing fake news and the number of checks they intended to make before sharing news. However, there was no change in their ability to recognize fake news. Qualitative data indicated that participants felt that they had improved their skills and confidence in recognizing fake news, supporting the quantitative data.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 15, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 29, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-11
• Deposit Date: Jun 22, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Journal: British Journal of Developmental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0261-510X
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-835X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 371-384
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12456
• Keywords: co-creation, fake news, intervention, misinformation, young people
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/22181392
• Publisher URL: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjdp.12456
• Additional Information: Received: 2022-11-16; Accepted: 2023-06-15; Published: 2023-06-29