Does the Story Matter? Applying Narrative Theory to an Educational Misinformation Escape Room Game

TL;DR

This study investigates how narrative framing in misinformation education games influences narrative transportation and identification among young adults. By comparing two escape-room games Euphorigen (general context) and Galaxy (fan-context), the authors examine socio-emotional drivers of misinformation engagement beyond traditional fact-based literacy. Quantitative results show context- and audience-specific effects: fans exhibit higher identification and Galaxy-related engagement, while non-fans can experience reduced immersion in highly targeted narratives; qualitative data reveal emotional investment and social dynamics as key factors. The work highlights the importance of tailoring narrative design to audience and context, and suggests integrating cultural localization and post-game reflections to enhance the socio-emotional impact of misinformation interventions.

Abstract

Rapid spread of harmful misinformation has led to a dire need for effective media literacy interventions, to which educational games have been suggested as a possible solution. Researchers and educators have created several games that increase media literacy and resilience to misinformation. However, the existing body of misinformation education games rarely focus upon the socio-emotional influences that factor into misinformation belief. Misinformation correction and serious games have both explored narrative as a method to engage with people on an emotional basis. To this end, we investigated how 123 young adults (mean age = 22.98) experienced narrative transportation and identification in two narrative-centered misinformation escape room games developed for library settings. We found that propensity for certain misinformation contexts, such as engagement with fan culture and likelihood to share on social media platforms, significantly affected how participants experienced specific measures of narrative immersion within the games. We discuss design implications for tailoring educational interventions to specific misinformation contexts.

Figures (7)

• Figure 1: A Sankey diagram representing the recruitment process.
• Figure 2: A representative example of the player workspace, showcasing the first three puzzles of the game. The large bar charts (top middle and bottom left) ask players to identify misleading chart titles; the headline puzzle (right middle) asks player to identify the description matching the nature of each of the headlines; the AI face puzzle (left middle) asks players to determine which faces are AI-generated. Sticky notes and markers were provided for note-taking.
• Figure 3: A screenshot of the deepfake video from Euphorigen, in which a doctor claims that the supplement failed critical trials and that the government will harm the population.
• Figure 4: A screenshot of the deepfake video from Galaxy, in which WJ claims that the management company is giving other members of the band preferential treatment and that other members are not supportive of his solo work.
• Figure 5: Diagram outlining the four study groups. The group shorthands are provided in parentheses, and will be used to refer to the groups in the following sections.