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How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Lorenz-Spreen

    (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)

  • Stephan Lewandowsky

    (University of Bristol
    University of Western Australia)

  • Cass R. Sunstein

    (Harvard Law School)

  • Ralph Hertwig

    (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)

Abstract

Public opinion is shaped in significant part by online content, spread via social media and curated algorithmically. The current online ecosystem has been designed predominantly to capture user attention rather than to promote deliberate cognition and autonomous choice; information overload, finely tuned personalization and distorted social cues, in turn, pave the way for manipulation and the spread of false information. How can transparency and autonomy be promoted instead, thus fostering the positive potential of the web? Effective web governance informed by behavioural research is critically needed to empower individuals online. We identify technologically available yet largely untapped cues that can be harnessed to indicate the epistemic quality of online content, the factors underlying algorithmic decisions and the degree of consensus in online debates. We then map out two classes of behavioural interventions—nudging and boosting— that enlist these cues to redesign online environments for informed and autonomous choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Lorenz-Spreen & Stephan Lewandowsky & Cass R. Sunstein & Ralph Hertwig, 2020. "How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(11), pages 1102-1109, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:4:y:2020:i:11:d:10.1038_s41562-020-0889-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-0889-7
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    3. Shuyuan Mary Ho & Xiuwen Liu & Md Shamim Seraj & Sabrina Dickey, 2023. "Social distance “nudge:” a context aware mHealth intervention in response to COVID pandemics," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 391-414, September.
    4. Chuhan Wu & Fangzhao Wu & Lingjuan Lyu & Tao Qi & Yongfeng Huang & Xing Xie, 2022. "A federated graph neural network framework for privacy-preserving personalization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Meir Russ, 2021. "Knowledge Management for Sustainable Development in the Era of Continuously Accelerating Technological Revolutions: A Framework and Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-32, March.
    6. Iulia-Maria COTOVANU TOADER, 2020. "The tale of two smart cities," Smart Cities International Conference (SCIC) Proceedings, Smart-EDU Hub, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, vol. 8, pages 195-214, November.
    7. Stephan Leitner & Bartosz Gula & Dietmar Jannach & Ulrike Krieg-Holz & Friederike Wall, 2021. "Understanding the dynamics emerging from infodemics: a call to action for interdisciplinary research," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Minh Ly Duc & Lukas Hlavaty & Petr Bilik & Radek Martinek, 2023. "Harmonic Mitigation Using Meta-Heuristic Optimization for Shunt Adaptive Power Filters: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-55, May.
    9. Piergiuseppe Fortunato & Marco Pecoraro, 2022. "Social media, education, and the rise of populist Euroscepticism," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Iulia Maria COTOVANU TOADER, 2021. "Pandemic drive for synchronized smart political atmospheres," Smart Cities International Conference (SCIC) Proceedings, Smart-EDU Hub, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, vol. 9, pages 191-202, November.
    11. Fulian Yin & Meiqi Ji & Zhongliang Yang & Zhaoliang Wu & Xinyu Xia & Tongtong Xing & Yuwei She & Zhiwen Hu, 2022. "Exploring the determinants of global vaccination campaigns to combat COVID-19," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. Arora, Swapan Deep & Singh, Guninder Pal & Chakraborty, Anirban & Maity, Moutusy, 2022. "Polarization and social media: A systematic review and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    13. Vrain, E. & Wilson, C. & Kerr, L. & Wilson, M., 2022. "Social influence in the adoption of digital consumer innovations for climate change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    14. Mills, Stuart, 2022. "Finding the ‘nudge’ in hypernudge," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    15. Garrett Morrow & Briony Swire‐Thompson & Jessica Montgomery Polny & Matthew Kopec & John P. Wihbey, 2022. "The emerging science of content labeling: Contextualizing social media content moderation," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(10), pages 1365-1386, October.
    16. Iulia Maria COÈšOVANU TOADER, 2021. "Sincronizarea atmosferelor smart," Smart Cities International Conference (SCIC) Proceedings, Smart-EDU Hub, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies & Public Administration, vol. 9, pages 203-214, November.
    17. Gritsenko, Daria, 2024. "Advancing UN digital cooperation: Lessons from environmental policy and governance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    18. Drews, Stefan & Savin, Ivan & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2022. "Biased perceptions of other people's attitudes to carbon taxation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    19. Tobia Spampatti & Ulf J. J. Hahnel & Evelina Trutnevyte & Tobias Brosch, 2024. "Psychological inoculation strategies to fight climate disinformation across 12 countries," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(2), pages 380-398, February.
    20. Helen X. H. Bao & Yuna Song, 2022. "Improving Food Security through Entomophagy: Can Behavioural Interventions Influence Consumer Preference for Edible Insects?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-19, March.
    21. Anastasia Kozyreva & Philipp Lorenz-Spreen & Ralph Hertwig & Stephan Lewandowsky & Stefan M. Herzog, 2021. "Public attitudes towards algorithmic personalization and use of personal data online: evidence from Germany, Great Britain, and the United States," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.

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