Calendar of events
Department Psychology Seminars: Dr Emily Spearing, Former PhD Student
Host: Kim Wade
Title: Does Active Engagement with Graphs Improve the Long-Term Efficacy of Fact-Checks?
Abstract: Fact-checks are generally effective at reducing the influence of misinformation. However, people’s beliefs often return to pre-corrections levels over time—a phenomenon known as belief regression. Yet relatively few studies have examined how to preserve the effectiveness of fact-checks over a delay. In this talk, I will discuss two experiments examining whether pairing fact-checks with supporting graphs can increase their memorability and preserve their effectiveness over time, and whether active engagement is necessary for these benefits to emerge. Finally, I will reflect on the practical implications of these findings for combatting the impacts of misinformation.
Bio: Emily Spearing is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Psychological Science at The University of Western Australia (UWA), whose work focuses on memory, decision-making and misinformation. She completed her PhD in Psychology at Warwick in 2022, before working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Law School at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on how people perceive, encode, and remember information in applied settings, particularly the legal system. Her current research primarily examines how to reduce the influence of misinformation, including the roles that visual content and artificial intelligence play in both amplifying and countering the spread of misinformation."