Social proximity and misinformation: Experimental evidence from a mobile phone-based campaign in India

Armand, A., Augsburg, B., Bancalari, A. and Kameshwara, K. K. 2022. Social proximity and misinformation: Experimental evidence from a mobile phone-based campaign in India. Institute for Fiscal Studies. https://doi.org/10.1920/wp.ifs.2022.1822

TitleSocial proximity and misinformation: Experimental evidence from a mobile phone-based campaign in India
AuthorsArmand, A., Augsburg, B., Bancalari, A. and Kameshwara, K. K.
TypeWorking paper
Abstract

We study how social proximity between the sender and the receiver of information shapes the effectiveness of preventive health behaviour campaigns and the persistence of misinformation. We implement a field experiment among a representative sample of slum residents in two major Indian cities characterized by Hindu-Muslim tensions. We show that informative messages are effective at improving evidence-based behavior, but not non-evidence-based behavior. These findings do not differ by social proximity, signalled by religion. However, when sender and receiver share the same religion, the intervention significantly reduces misinformation carrying in-group salience, highlighting the role of social proximity in fighting misinformation. (JEL codes: C93; D91; I12; I15; O12)

KeywordsMisinformation
Religion
Identity
Social proximity
India
Social media
COVID-19
randomized field experiment
Year2022
PublisherInstitute for Fiscal Studies
Publication dates
Published08 Jun 2022
FunderInternational Growth Centre
ESRC Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy
Web address (URL)https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/output_url_files/WP202218-Social-proximity-and-misinformation-experimental-evidence-from-a-mobile-phone-based-campaign-in-India.pdf
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1920/wp.ifs.2022.1822
Journal citation22/18
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)

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