Transformative Play for Building Resilience to Misinformation

Transformative play serves as a pedagogical framework for building resilience against misinformation by shifting the focus from traditional, skills-based media literacy to experiential, affective learning. The core thesis posits that by placing participants in immersive, narrative-driven escape rooms, individuals can confront their own cognitive vulnerabilities and biases in a low-stakes environment. This process of "transformative play" encourages players to navigate complex, ambiguous information landscapes, ultimately fostering critical self-awareness and epistemic growth.

The research centers on the design and implementation of an educational escape room titled The Euphorigen Investigation. In this simulation, players are tasked with evaluating the safety of a fictional supplement, navigating through misleading headlines, manipulated charts, and deepfake media. A pivotal design element is a deliberate plot twist where players inadvertently share a deepfake, forcing a visceral realization of their own susceptibility to manipulation. This experience is followed by a structured debriefing session, which is identified as the critical phase for collective sensemaking, reflection, and the internalization of lessons regarding information credibility and social media incentives.

Methodologically, the study employs an interpretive, theory-driven analysis rooted in transformative learning and game design scholarship. By moving beyond simple fact-checking exercises, the approach addresses the psychological, social, and epistemic factors that contribute to the spread of misinformation. The findings suggest that such gameplay experiences effectively challenge the "third-person effect"—the tendency for individuals to believe others are more susceptible to media influence than themselves. By fostering collaborative dialogue and critical reflection, these interventions provide a scalable, adaptable tool for educators and communities to cultivate more resilient, informed citizens capable of navigating the complexities of modern digital information ecosystems.