Jorge Goncalves

While short video platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are frequently criticised for facilitating the spread of misinformation, they are also increasingly leveraged as tools for countering it through debunking content. Although video-based corrections have demonstrated effectiveness, their persuasive impact may depend on the richness of their audio-visual elements. This study examines the persuasive efficacy of three fundamental presentation styles commonly used in short-form video content: (1) videos featuring only captions, (2) captions accompanied by relevant images, and (3) captions presented alongside the creator’s visible face. Our results indicate that videos incorporating either relevant and engaging imagery or the creator’s facial presence are significantly more persuasive than those relying solely on captions. Based on these findings, we propose practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness of debunking videos, with the aim of promoting belief revision and mitigating misinformation on short video platforms.

Social media has blurred the line between professional journalism and personality-driven commentary, yet we know little about how users evaluate credibility and engage with news from influencers and legacy media when they appear in the same feed. This short paper investigates how political ideology and news source type shape perceived credibility and follow intentions on Instagram. We conducted a mixed-methods experiment where U.S.-based participants (N=120) viewed a set of real news posts and rated the credibility of four accounts (two legacy media–based, two influencer-based), balanced by ideology (two left-leaning, two right-leaning), and indicated whether they would follow each account. Our findings suggest that perceived credibility on Instagram is multi-dimensional, rooted in ideological alignment, yet moderated by institutional signals and perceived authenticity. These insights highlight how platform design and source dynamics can reinforce selective exposure, with implications for both mitigating polarisation and strengthening trust in online news ecosystems.

Conversational AI now helps people perform a plethora of everyday tasks, especially online. Such cognitive offloading can enhance task performance, but does not always contribute to the development of the underlying human abilities. As a result, there are increasing concerns about the potential deleterious effects of overusing AI in one’s work. This workshop explores a timely and positive framing: cognitive augmentation, where conversational AI can help people grow rather than just perform their tasks. We bring together a diverse set of researchers to work on how these systems might foster inherently human cognitive capabilities, such as meta-cognition, self-motivation, and emotional intelligence, without creating dependency.