Background
Cat Park is based on “active inoculation” theory, pioneered by the University of Cambridge’s Social Decision-Making Lab. Much as vaccinations work by exposing subjects to an innocuous strain of a virus in order to trigger an immune response, empirical studies indicate that the controlled experience of disinformation through a game can build cognitive resistance to disinformation in the real world. This concept is also known as “prebunking.” Rather than simply waiting for lies to spread and then debunking them with a fact-check, the goal of Cat Park is to proactively educate about common disinformation techniques so that players are better prepared to spot fake news no matter what form it takes.
In a survey analysis of the game’s efficacy conducted by the University of Cambridge, researchers found that individuals who play Cat Park are 19-percentage points more likely than a control group to spot disinformation and 15-percentage points less likely to want to share disinformation.
Gameplay
Over the course of the game the player will travel throughout the city and meet an eclectic cast of characters united in the aim of bringing down the cat park. The player will go through different mini games that expose the player to various ways disinformation can be created and spread on social media. After the player unleashes their disinformation they also learn about counter-disinformation techniques and the benefits and limitations of different approaches. The game is designed to be completed in roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
While these games are available to any interested players, they are recommended for use in classroom settings, framed by basic context on information literacy. A sample lesson plan is available.
Huh.
