Distinguish Seniors’ Photo-Falsehood Training

Experts have given tips for sussing out lies during conversations intended to persuade. Because photos are highly persuasive, an especially insidious technique for lying is to alter visual images in misleading ways. Researchers at University of Warwick and Lancaster University found that older adults are less skilled at identifying digitally-altered images than are younger adults. The researchers also evaluated the effectiveness of a brief video tutorial developed to strengthen the skill.
     The study participant sample used for data analysis consisted of almost 16,000 volunteers divided equally among three age groups: 15 to 30 years old, 31 to 59 years old, and 60 to 75 years old. Each participant was shown a selection of unaltered and manipulated photos, with the task of identifying the manipulated ones and stating what strategies they used to tell the difference. The photo manipulation techniques were: 

• Airbrushing. For instance, removal of wrinkles on the model’s face and neck. 
• Addition or subtraction. For instance, adding trash bins to the photo. 
• Geometrical inconsistency. For instance, half of the image of a tree sheered at an angle inconsistent with the angle of the other half. 
• Shadow inconsistency. For instance, placing the model’s shadow in a position inconsistent with the shadow positions of other objects in the photo. 
• Combination. Use of all four of the prior manipulations in the same photo.

     The results for all three age groups demonstrated only a limited ability to distinguish the genuine from the altered photos. In the data analyses, all three age groups showed a bias toward declaring a photo as altered. This is to be expected since the participants were alerted to the use of digital manipulation. In the real world, absent such alerts and with higher time pressure, we might expect a bias toward accepting photographic evidence as genuine.
     Before completing the task, some of the participants in each of the age groups had been shown a one-minute video illustrating use of the manipulation techniques. This proved to be helpful, improving the discrimination accuracy by the young and middle-aged participants.
     Being presented the video did not reliably improve accuracy among the older participants. Further, there were differences between the older adults and the other two groups in sensitivity to the four types of photo manipulation techniques. This indicates that older adults might need training distinctive in duration or details to help them avoid making poor decisions because of persuasive photo falsehoods.

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