Mechanism and long-term effects of psychological inoculation on individuals’ attitudes towards commercial misinformation: experimental research

Purpose The pervasive spread of commercial misinformation on social media poses significant risks to businesses and brands, with potentially devastating consequences for their reputation and financial stability. Given its unique nature and far-reaching impact, it is imperative to investigate and develop effective strategies to counteract this growing threat. Based on inoculation theory, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms and long-term effects of different inoculation strategies in the context of commercial misinformation. Design/methodology/approach A randomized controlled trial and follow-up experiment were conducted with 569 valid participants over 2 waves in a 6-week longitudinal study. Hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA, post-hoc analysis and regression analysis. Findings Data analysis indicates that inoculation can effectively enhance individuals' resistance to misinformation. Affective inoculation, compared to cognitive inoculation, more significantly strengthens individuals' threat perceptions of misinformation, subsequently reducing the perceived credibility of misinformation upon exposure. In this process, individuals' self-efficacy in identifying misinformation plays a moderating role, reinforcing the negative impact of perceived threat on the credibility of misinformation. The resistance effect of inoculation against misinformation persists for more than six weeks. However, there is no significant difference between the long-term effects of affective and cognitive inoculation, nor is there a significant relationship between the frequency of inoculation and its long-term effectiveness. Research limitations/implications The study offers practical insights for governments, platforms, organizations and individuals in the preemptive intervention against misinformation. Originality/value This research significantly advances the field of misinformation governance by extending its application scenarios, expanding the theoretical landscape of inoculation studies and providing valuable insights into both immediate and enduring effects of psychological inoculation strategies.