Research at Lie Detectors

Solid facts are key to engaging decision-makers. Our ongoing work with GDPR-compliant questionnaires, academics and scientists produces regular Insight reports highlighting careful analysis of our impact as well as the challenges and opportunities facing communities that work to advance information integrity and societal resilience against disinformation and polarisation.

Research work guided by

Data-based Insights

Lie Detectors has developed its most recent questionnaires with the kind guidance of media sociologist Divina Frau-Meigs (La Sorbonne), cognitive psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky (University of Bristol), the University of Munich and the University of Muenster.

Analysis of our data results in the publication of Insight Reports on trends in information media usage by young people and their teachers. We utilise these carefully prepared reports, gathered from visiting thousands of schools across Europe, to inform policy discussions via our advisory roles on education policy and data rights. All of them are available for download, below.

Featured

Lie Detectors: The Pupils’ Perspective

Insights: As part of an evaluation collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, this briefing examines positive student contact with journalists and pupils’ resulting increased motivation to verify online content. Is the Lie Detectors approach to digital media literacy effectively producing change?

Remote possibility: Scaling media literacy in underserved regions and communities

Insights: Media literacy training delivered to students via video-conferencing has declined since the end of the Covid pandemic. But for remote regions, online offerings provide much-needed training with almost undiminished impact. Based on impact surveys among children and teachers.

Can Teachers Tackle Disinformation? Exploring Hurdles and Solutions

Insights: Based on 665 responses from teachers across five countries, this survey explores high interest, persisting limitations and opportunities for upskilling teacher communities on digital media literacy.

The Covid Effect: Building Resilience to Disinformation in a Digital Media Age

Insights: This briefing quantifies heightened engagement by teachers on media literacy post-pandemic as well as the self-reported impact of Lie Detectors training as creating a brake on young people sharing viral content. We also examine rapid development of online media usage by children and generational usage gaps.

Tackling Disinformation Screen to Screen: Findings and Solutions in the Virtual Classroom

Insights: This briefing explores extremely high engagement by teachers and children with interactive media literacy tools during 2020 pandemic lockdown, as well as shifting patterns of news consumption.

Tackling Disinformation Face to Face: Journalists’ Findings from the Classroom

With an external contribution by Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills, OECD

Insights: Children migrate to image-based news consumption; teachers note sparse media literacy offer for classrooms and appreciate external expert training.

Lie Detectors confirms a major tool to fight disinformation is education. I am convinced that in the long term we will not find a better way of empowering people than by increasing levels of digital literacy.

Vera Jourova
Former Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency
"That was really great. These sort of sessions are far too few and far between in our school schedule."

15-year-old student
Berlin, Germany
"Lie Detectors is a powerful answer to disinformation."

Mariya Gabriel
Former European Commissioner for Education and Youth