User Correction of Misinformation on Social Media: Perceived and Actual Social Norms

Despite the effectiveness of the User Correction approach in combating misinformation, people on social media often avoid correcting others due to fears of consequences and doubts about its usefulness. Users’ perceptions and misperceptions regarding challenging misinformation—a form of User Correction—remain underexplored. This study, based on data from 250 UK-based social media users, examined misperceptions about correcting misinformation and their impact on the likelihood of taking action. The findings reveal that individuals hold misperceptions about the negative consequences of challenging others and the acceptability of such behavior. These consequences include perceived negative effects on relationships, harm to the person being challenged, and the belief that challenging misinformation is ineffective. Participants believed that challenging others could damage relationships more than being challenged themselves, and they perceived challenging others as more futile than being challenged. Those who viewed correcting misinformation as more socially acceptable for others were more likely to engage in such actions. Injunctive norms and perceived negative impacts on the person being challenged also influenced the likelihood of participating in User Correction. This study highlights the importance of addressing users’ attitudes and misperceptions to develop effective user-centric countermeasures on social media. The findings suggest that a social norms approach to behavior change may be a promising strategy to encourage corrective actions.