Is There Truth in Pictures? The Impact of Images on Older Adults' Information Judgement and the Role of Metacognitive Reflection
Description
Relevant but nonprovocative photographs make it easier for people to judge sentences as true. This phenomenon is known as the truthiness effect of nonprobative photos. It is unclear whether older adults are influenced by nonprobative photos. In two experimental studies (N = 375), we tested whether the truthiness effect of nonprobative photos exists in both older adults and younger adults and further explored whether metacognitive reflection prompts could eliminate this effect. Study 1, the results revealed that the truthiness effect of nonprobative photos differed between younger and older adults, with younger adults showing a truthiness effect when judging true declarative sentences and older adults showing a truthiness effect when judging false declarative sentences; however, this performance of older adults was similar to that of younger adults with an intuitive cognitive style. Study 2, although the truthiness effect of nonprobative photos appears in both older adults and younger adults, it can be alleviated with metacognitive reflection prompts. Limited exposure to the internet coupled with the natural decline in cognitive abilities means that older adults are increasingly at risk of being influenced by misinformation. Our findings are critical to raising awareness of photo authenticity and preventing the spread of misinformation.