We can get better at detecting disinformation without losing trust

Knowledge about disinformation and source criticism helps us become better at identifying false media reporting without undermining trust in reliable sources. This is demonstrated by two new studies from the Swedish Defence University, which examine how different forms of education can strengthen our resilience to information influence. The results also indicate that factors such as age, gender, and educational level affect how well we can recognise disinformation.

The deliberate spread of false information by certain countries and groups to influence others is a growing societal challenge. To address this, public authorities and organisations are investing in education and awareness-raising initiatives. However, there is a risk: people may also grow suspicious of trustworthy news and sources.

“We therefore wanted to explore whether it is possible to strengthen people’s source-critical skills without creating mistrust towards legitimate information”, says Charlotte Wagnsson, Professor of Political Science at the Swedish Defence University.

Two educational films on disinformation with different perspectives

Over 1,000 individuals from across Sweden took part in the experiment. Participants were divided into groups and shown one of two educational films: one focused on general source criticism, while the other specifically warned about disinformation from foreign powers, particularly Russia.

Both groups improved their ability to identify false information, compared to the control group, which was shown an unrelated film. Importantly, their trust in credible news outlets, government agencies, and public service media remained intact. The group that viewed the film about foreign influence performed best overall.

"This shows that education is effective, particularly when it highlights external threats. At the same time, we must avoid reinforcing an "us versus them" narrative, which can lead to polarisation or xenophobia", says Charlotte Wagnsson.

Younger, highly educated men are better at spotting false information

The second study examined whether demographic factors influenced participants' ability to distinguish between facts and disinformation. The results revealed small but clear differences between groups:

• Younger participants performed better than older ones. The older the age group, the lower the average accuracy.
• Higher levels of education increased the likelihood of recognising disinformation, regardless of age or gender.
• Men, on average, performed better than women – a difference comparable to 13–18 years of ageing.

According to Wagnsson, these differences may be linked to several factors, including educational background, digital habits, and interest in politics or international news. However, she emphasises that individual characteristics and experience remain the strongest predictors of critical thinking.

“Nonetheless, understanding group-level differences is important when developing future educational efforts”, she adds.

Most effective in societies with high institutional trust

The results also suggest that education against disinformation is particularly effective in countries where people have high trust in media, government, and public institutions, such as Sweden. Research from other teams indicates that outcomes may differ in more polarised societies, such as the United States.

“That is why more research is needed in other countries and cultures, as well as longer-term follow-ups to see whether the effects are sustained over time”, says Charlotte Wagnsson.