Value for Correction: Documenting Perceptions about Peer Correction of Misinformation on Social Media in the Context of COVID-19.

In this article, we aim to understand people’s attitude towards correction on social media because previous research suggests that many users avoid correcting others because they believe it will create conflict i.e. people may have a negative attitude towards engaging in correction. Using exploratory factor analysis, we offer a concrete measure of value for correction– positive elements (value for correction) and negative elements (correction concerns). For this we conducted an online questionnaire where respondents first answered questions about their experiences with misinformation and correction, then answered questions about attitudes towards correction and answered demographic questions last. We found that while people acknowledged the downsides of online corrections, they broadly endorsed it because they like it and also see it as a public responsibility. For the most part, people across demographics value correction with older adults being more likely to endorse and express concerns about correction and marginalized groups are more likely to be harassed online if engaging in correction.