Sameera Vithanage, Keith Ransom, Antonette Mendoza, Shanika Karunasekera
The proliferation of misinformation on social media has been a widely discussed topic in recent years, especially due to its severe consequences on many facets of society. Social correction - correction of misinformation by ordinary social media users has been proposed as an intervention that could mitigate the negative effects of misinformation. Nevertheless, the current research on this topic is nascent. This review aims to collate and synthesise the existing literature on social correction on social media. This review synthesises existing literature on social correction, drawing from 58 articles identified from six databases (Web of Science, Scopus, AIS E-Library, IEEE Xplore, APA PsycInfo, ACM Digital Library). This review systematically categorises extant literature into three core domains: observation, provision, and reception. We find that witnessing corrections effectively reduces misperceptions, but individuals often hesitate to provide corrections. Furthermore, those who receive corrections tend to update their beliefs, but the content subsequently shared may decline in quality. In conclusion, social correction shows promise in reducing misperceptions and promoting positive online behaviour. At the same time, significant avenues for future research remain, warranting further investigation.