What is it about?
Misinformation is used to deceive users online. Detecting this deception can be particularly challenging for those with lower digital literacy or confidence, including adults aged 50+. We reviewed existing research to identify which misinformation interventions benefit users in this age group. Three intervention types emerged: bunking, boosting, and nudging. Their effectiveness is mixed, but bunking programmes appear most effective, improving accuracy judgments for both true and false content. Some interventions also produced negative effects, such as increasing scepticism toward true information.
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Why is it important?
Within misinformation research, older adults are often overlooked, despite being widely assumed to be more vulnerable due to age‑related stereotypes. Our findings show that psychological interventions can support deception detection, but age‑specific approaches are essential to ensure older users remain protected.
Perspectives
Writing this piece gave me the chance to highlight a group that is often missing from misinformation research. I hope it encourages the development of training that effectively supports older adults. I also hope it helps challenge stereotypes about ageing, as research shows older adults can sometimes match or even outperform younger adults on misinformation‑detection tasks.
Holly Barnett
Lancaster University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Psychological interventions for mis/disinformation detection: A systematic–narrative review of their effectiveness for older adults., Technology Mind and Behavior, March 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000183.
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