Free debunking handbook

There is much evidence that updates to factual beliefs, even if successful, may not translate into attitude or behaviour change. For example, in polarized societies (e.g., the U.S.) people indicate that they will continue to vote for their favored politician even if they discover that the majority of the politician’s statements are false [21, 22, 23]. Fortunately, it does not have to be that way. In less polarized societies (e.g., Australia), people’s voting intentions are sensitive to politicians’ truthfulness [24]. Nevertheless, do not refrain from debunking because you are worried it will not change behaviour. Successful debunking can affect behaviour—for example, it can reduce people’s willingness to spend money on questionable health products or their sharing of misleading content online [25, 26].