STITCHING REFUTATIONS: DEBUNKING MISOGYNY AND MISINFORMATION ON TIKTOK

Abstract

Misogyny, a deep-seated prejudice against women, thrives on misinformation. This study explores one approach to mitigating the effects of misogynistic misinformation on TikTok, a popular shortform video platform. Misogyny and associated misinformation have flourished on TikTok, fueled by usergenerated content and algorithmic amplification. This preregistered experiment (N = 2,756) examined the effectiveness of different types of Stitch-based refutations. Specifically, we tested the impact of TikTok Stitches that varied in refutation approach (targeting misinformation, misogyny, or both) and the refuter’s race (Black or White) and gender (presenting as a man or as a woman) on viewers’ misinformationand misogyny-related beliefs. The study employed a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design, supplemented by a misinformation-only condition and a pure control condition, resulting in 14 experimental conditions. This project addresses a research gap by examining the intricate interplay among misogyny, misinformation, race, and gender within the context of TikTok’s short-form video format. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of corrective Stitches of misinformation in countering misinformation across refuters from diverse intersectional identities, while also underscoring the difficulty of shifting misogynistic attitudes.