Online Games to Help Canadian and U.S. Adults Identify COVID-19 and Vaccine Misinformation: Three Sequential Randomized Studies

Summary

COVID-19 misinformation contributed to vaccine hesitancy and preventable illness. This record covers three sequential randomized studies (conducted in Canada and the United States, November-December 2020) testing whether a brief online game helps adults identify COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation. In the game, participants judged whether statements about COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccines were true or false and immediately received the correct answer with a brief evidence-based explanation, delivered in a game-like format with points, ranks, and feedback. Study 1 (Canada, n = 2,018) randomized participants to complete the knowledge assessment either before playing the game or immediately after playing it. Studies 2 (U.S., n = 822) and 3 (U.S., n = 797) compared the game against the identical corrective content presented as plain text, for general COVID-19 misinformation and vaccine-specific misinformation, respectively. The hypothesis was that gamified corrective information produces more accurate knowledge than non-gamified information. The primary outcome was accuracy in identifying true and false claims; vaccination intention was a secondary outcome.

Conditions

• COVID-19
• Vaccine Hesitancy
• Health Misinformation
• Communication

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Gamified misinformation refutation quiz

Single-session online game: participants judge true/false statements about COVID-19 (Trials 1-2) or COVID-19 vaccines (Trial 3) and immediately after each response receive the correct answer with a brief evidence-based refutation, within a gamified interface (points, ranks, feedback). 6-19 knowledge items depending on trial.

BEHAVIORAL

Refutational text (active control)

Identical evidence-based refutational content presented as a single static text block without game elements or item-level feedback. Participants confirmed reading the text before completing the post-intervention assessments.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Digital Public Square

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• U.S. National Science Foundation

  collaborator FED

• Canadian Heritage

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of South Carolina

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-11-20

Primary Completion

2020-12-28

Completion

2020-12-28

Countries

• United States

Study Locations