Within Common Sense
Can one prompt reduce false sharing?
Small accuracy reminders can improve what people share by shifting attention from plausibility and identity toward verification.
On this page
- Why sharing is not always driven by belief
- How accuracy attention changes decisions
- Where prompts help and where they fall short
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Introduction
Small reminders about accuracy can reduce the spread of misinformation online, even when they do not directly fact-check any specific claim. The core idea is surprisingly simple: many people share false or misleading content not because they firmly believe it, but because their attention is focused on other goals at the moment of sharing. Social approval, outrage, humour, identity signalling and speed can all crowd out a basic question: “Is this actually true?” Research over the past several years has found that brief “accuracy prompts” can improve the quality of what people choose to share by bringing that question back into focus. Nature [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
This finding matters because it challenges a common assumption about misinformation. The problem is not always that people cannot tell true from false information. In many cases, they show much better judgement when explicitly asked to evaluate accuracy than when asked whether they would share the same content. Accuracy prompts work by interrupting that gap between what people know and what they do. [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
Why sharing is not always driven by belief
One of the most important findings in misinformation research is that sharing and believing are not the same behaviour. Someone may recognise that a headline is doubtful yet still repost it because it is amusing, politically useful, emotionally satisfying or likely to attract attention.
Experiments conducted by researchers including Gordon Pennycook and David Rand found that participants were often reasonably capable of distinguishing true headlines from false ones when directly asked about accuracy. Yet the same participants became less discerning when the task changed from judging truth to deciding what they would share on social media. [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
This helps explain why common-sense plausibility can be misleading. A story that feels right, fits an existing worldview or confirms a suspicion may be shared before accuracy receives much attention. The social media environment amplifies this tendency because platforms are designed around engagement. Users encounter reactions, follower counts, likes and emotional cues that encourage rapid responses rather than careful verification. Researchers have described this as an “inattention” problem: accuracy is often not absent from people’s values, but absent from their immediate focus. PMC PubMed The distinction is important because it suggests a different intervention strategy. If misinformation spread were mainly caused by deep commi [pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSocial Media toward Accuracyby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 121 — A meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing is likely attrib… tment to false beliefs, a brief reminder would accomplish little. If part of the problem is that attention drifts away from truthfulness during sharing, then a small prompt may have surprisingly large effects.
How accuracy attention changes decisions
Accuracy prompts are designed to redirect attention at the moment when a user is about to engage with content. They can take different forms:
- Asking users whether a neutral headline is accurate before showing unrelated content.
- Prompting users to consider whether a post is trustworthy before sharing it.
- Requesting a brief accuracy rating.
- Encouraging users to read an article before reposting it.
- Presenting reminders about the importance of reliable information. Nature [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
What makes these interventions notable is their light touch. They do not require large fact-checking systems or detailed content moderation. Instead, they attempt to change what users are paying attention to.
A useful way to think about the mechanism is that social media presents several competing motivations simultaneously. Users may care about humour, loyalty to a group, emotional expression, entertainment and accuracy all at once. An accuracy prompt temporarily raises the salience of one motivation that was already present but not currently dominant. Research suggests that this shift can make people more selective about what they pass along. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCNudging Social Media toward AccuracyPMC - NIHby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 120 — A meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing is likely attributable to Internet… [Nature]nature.comArticle Open access 21 November 2025. Accuracy…Read more…
This finding also connects directly to the broader problem of common sense as a weak evidence test. Plausible stories often spread because they feel right before anyone checks them. Accuracy prompts create a brief interruption in that process. Rather than asking whether a claim sounds reasonable, they encourage users to ask whether evidence supports it.
Evidence from large-scale experiments
The strongest evidence comes from a series of experiments conducted across multiple countries and platforms.
A widely cited 2020 study on COVID-19 misinformation found that simply asking participants to assess the accuracy of a single, unrelated headline improved the quality of later sharing decisions. Participants became more likely to share true content relative to false content after receiving the prompt. [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
Researchers later examined whether this effect was a one-off result. A meta-analysis covering 20 experiments and more than 26,000 participants found that accuracy prompts produced a consistent improvement in sharing discernment. The effect appeared across different studies, samples and content types, supporting the idea that the intervention is both replicable and generalisable rather than dependent on one specific experiment. [Nature]nature.compsychological mechanisms of misinformation sharing on social mediaAccuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable approach for reducing the spread of misinformation. Nature…Read more…
Additional work has shown similar patterns in different contexts, including health misinformation. Studies found that accuracy nudges reduced willingness to share misleading health claims and weakened the influence of emotionally manipulative or pseudo-authoritative content. [ScienceDirect]sciencedirect.comScienceDirectReview The Psychology of Fake Newsby G Pennycook · 2021 · Cited by 2116 — Concern about fake news was redoubled in 2020 in t…
The broader pattern is consistent: when attention is directed toward truthfulness, sharing behaviour becomes more selective.
Why such a small intervention can work
The effectiveness of accuracy prompts can seem counterintuitive. How can a single question influence behaviour in a complex information environment?
Part of the answer lies in how human attention works. People constantly make decisions using limited mental resources. Online environments compete aggressively for those resources through notifications, emotional content and social feedback. In such settings, accuracy may become one consideration among many rather than the primary filter. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCAccuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizablePMCby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 363 — Online misinformation has become a major focus of attention in recent years among academics, te…
Researchers argue that misinformation often benefits from this attentional competition. False stories may succeed not because they survive careful scrutiny but because they bypass scrutiny altogether. A reminder about accuracy changes the decision frame. It does not necessarily teach new facts. Instead, it encourages users to apply standards they already possess. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCNudging Social Media toward AccuracyPMC - NIHby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 120 — A meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing is likely attributable to Internet…
This interpretation helps explain why accuracy prompts can affect people across political groups. Although debates continue about differences in effectiveness across populations, multiple studies have found reductions in misinformation sharing among users with different ideological identities. [Cornell Chronicle]news.cornell.eduaccuracy nudges decrease misinformation sharing left rightCornell ChronicleAccuracy 'nudges' decrease misinformation-sharing on left, right4 Apr 2024 — They found that “nudges” regarding the impo…
The result is less a correction of belief than a correction of attention.
Where prompts help and where they fall short
Accuracy prompts are promising, but they are not a complete solution.
One limitation is that the effects are generally modest rather than transformative. A prompt may improve sharing quality, but it does not eliminate misinformation. Highly motivated users can still share false content intentionally, and deeply held conspiratorial beliefs are unlikely to disappear because of a brief reminder. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCAccuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizablePMCby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 363 — Online misinformation has become a major focus of attention in recent years among academics, te…
Another challenge is durability. Researchers continue to investigate how long the effects last. A prompt shown once may influence immediate behaviour, but platforms must decide whether reminders should be repeated, varied or integrated into broader design systems. [Nature]nature.comCan shifting attention to accuracy reduce misinformation on…by Z Liu · 2025 · Cited by 3 — Inattention-based theory provides a differe…
There are also trade-offs. Some interventions reduce sharing of both false and true content, although false content typically declines more. This improves overall information quality but may also reduce engagement more generally. Platform designers must decide whether that trade-off is acceptable.
The intervention is also most effective when users are merely inattentive rather than strongly committed to misinformation. Someone who shares a false claim because it supports an identity, political cause or financial interest may be less responsive to an accuracy reminder than someone who simply failed to pause and evaluate the claim. [ScienceDirect]sciencedirect.comScienceDirectReview The Psychology of Fake Newsby G Pennycook · 2021 · Cited by 2116 — Concern about fake news was redoubled in 2020 in t…
Friction versus speed
Accuracy prompts belong to a broader family of interventions sometimes described as digital friction. Instead of making sharing as fast and effortless as possible, platforms introduce small pauses that encourage reflection.
Examples include prompts asking users to read an article before reposting it, reminders to verify information and warnings that encourage a second look before publication. These features add seconds rather than minutes, but those seconds can change how information is processed. Twitter reported that prompts encouraging users to open articles before retweeting increased click-through behaviour, illustrating how minor interruptions can alter engagement patterns. [WIRED]wired.comThis strategy reverses the industry's former goal of eliminating "friction" to enhance speed and ease of use. Studies show that encouragi…
The underlying principle is simple: misinformation often benefits from speed. Verification usually requires a pause.
What accuracy prompts reveal about common sense
The success of accuracy prompts highlights a broader lesson about myths and misconceptions. People often assume that false beliefs spread because individuals cannot recognise weak evidence. The research suggests a more complicated picture.
In many situations, people possess better judgement than their sharing behaviour initially suggests. The problem is that social and emotional cues can push attention away from that judgement at crucial moments. A claim that feels plausible, familiar or group-affirming may move through a network before anyone stops to examine it.
Accuracy prompts work because they briefly restore that examination. They do not provide a full fact-check, resolve every disagreement or eliminate misinformation. What they do is interrupt the automatic leap from “this sounds right” to “I should share this”. That interruption is small, but it exposes a key weakness in common-sense reasoning: plausibility often arrives faster than verification. Nature [Sage Journals]journals.sagepub.comSage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Can one prompt reduce false sharing?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
Covers evaluating claims and improving accuracy judgments.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Explains attention and judgment failures behind misinformation sharing.
The Constitution of Knowledge
Explores how societies distinguish truth from falsehood.
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Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.
Endnotes
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Source: nature.com
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03344-2Source snippet
Article Open access 21 November 2025. Accuracy...Read more...
Published: November 2025
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Source: nature.com
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30073-5Source snippet
NatureAccuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable...by G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 347 — Interventions that shift users attent...
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Title: PMCNudging Social Media toward Accuracy
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9082967/Source snippet
PMC - NIHby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 120 — A meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing is likely attributable to Internet...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661321000516Source snippet
ScienceDirectReview The Psychology of Fake Newsby G Pennycook · 2021 · Cited by 2116 — Concern about [fake news]({{ 'fake-news/' | relative_url }}) was redoubled in 2020 in t...
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Source: wired.com
Link: https://www.wired.com/story/friction-social-media-moderationSource snippet
This strategy reverses the industry's former goal of eliminating "friction" to enhance speed and ease of use. Studies show that encouragi...
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Title: PMCAccuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9051116/Source snippet
PMCby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 363 — Online misinformation has become a major focus of attention in recent years among academics, te...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953624005896Source snippet
Perceived credibility and information verification revealed underlying...
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Source: news.cornell.edu
Title: accuracy nudges decrease misinformation sharing left right
Link: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/04/accuracy-nudges-decrease-misinformation-sharing-left-rightSource snippet
Cornell ChronicleAccuracy 'nudges' decrease misinformation-sharing on left, right4 Apr 2024 — They found that “nudges” regarding the impo...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Title: ScienceDirect No Nudge Is Good Enough?
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958826000795Source snippet
Limits of accuracy prompts for...by W Gramacho · 2026 — A promising line of research suggests that prompting individuals to reflect on t...
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Source: nature.com
Title: psychological mechanisms of misinformation sharing on social media
Link: https://www.nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/psychological-mechanisms-of-misinformation-sharing-on-social-mediaSource snippet
Accuracy prompts are a replicable and generalizable approach for reducing the spread of misinformation. Nature...Read more...
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Source: nature.com
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-05233-9Source snippet
Can shifting attention to accuracy reduce misinformation on...by Z Liu · 2025 · Cited by 3 — Inattention-based theory provides a differe...
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Source: nature.com
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02205-6Source snippet
Following news on social media boosts knowledge, belief...by S Altay · 2025 · Cited by 22 — These trends may exacerbate polarization, ra...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Title: Thinking more or thinking differently?
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010027722003018Source snippet
Using drift-diffusion...by H Lin · 2023 · Cited by 58 — Recent experiments have found that prompting people to think about accuracy redu...
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Source: journals.sagepub.com
Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797620939054Source snippet
Sage JournalsFighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Mediaby G Pennycook · 2020 · Cited by 2733 — Our results are consistent with an i...
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Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35558818/Source snippet
Social Media toward Accuracyby G Pennycook · 2022 · Cited by 121 — A meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing is likely attrib...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MisinformationSource snippet
MisinformationMisinformation can include inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or false information as well as selective or half-truths...
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Source: fondationdescartes.org
Link: https://www.fondationdescartes.org/en/2021/04/shifting-attention-to-accuracy-can-reduce-misinformation-online/Source snippet
"Nature (2021). [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03344..."](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03344...")...
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Additional References
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Source: prosocialdesign.org
Link: https://www.prosocialdesign.org/library/accuracy-promptsSource snippet
Accuracy PromptsAmong all the approaches trialed, only Accuracy Nudges successfully reduced shares of misinformation. Why It Matters. Fak...
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Source: misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
Link: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/examining-accuracy-prompt-efficacy-in-combination-with-using-colored-borders-to-differentiate-news-and-social-content-online/Source snippet
Misinformation ReviewExamining accuracy-prompt efficacy in combination with...by V Bhardwaj · 2023 · Cited by 10 — Recent research sugge...
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Source: merriam-webster.com
Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accuracy -
Source: misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
Title: developing an accuracy prompt toolkit to reduce covid 19 misinformation online
Link: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/developing-an-accuracy-prompt-toolkit-to-reduce-covid-19-misinformation-online/Source snippet
an accuracy-prompt toolkit to reduce COVID...by Z Epstein · 2021 · Cited by 139 — Here we focus on reducing the sharing of misinformatio...
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Source: jps.ecnu.edu.cn
Title: Social Network Analysis and Mining, 13(1), 30. [8] Arechar A. A., Allen
Link: https://jps.ecnu.edu.cn/EN/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250410Source snippet
Intervention Effect of Accuracy Prompt on...by J Haoyang · 2025 — Fake news, disinformation and misinformation in social media: A review...
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Source: cambridge.org
Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/psychology-of-misinformation/interventions-to-combat-misinformation/FCD74AF8BD30397DCF5A244DB55172A4Source snippet
t have been designed and tested since misinformation research exploded in...Read more...
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Source: researchgate.net
Title: 360387098 Nudging Social Media toward Accuracy
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360387098_Nudging_Social_Media_toward_AccuracySource snippet
(PDF) Nudging Social Media toward Accuracyby G PENNYCOOK · 2022 · Cited by 122 — Research shows that social media users struggle to detec...
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Source: europepmc.org
Title: Nudging social media sharing towards accuracy
Link: https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr388387Source snippet
Abstractby G Pennycook · 2021 · Cited by 121 — Recent work indicates that a meaningful portion of online misinformation sharing can be at...
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Source: scientificamerican.com
Link: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-people-dont-actively-seek-to-share-fake-news/Source snippet
Most People Don't Actively Seek to Share Fake NewsMar 17, 2021 — Fake news and misinformation have been a persistent concern ever since t...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Accuracy and precision
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_and_precisionSource snippet
Accuracy and precisionAccuracy and precision are measures of observational error; accuracy is how close a given set of measurements is...
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