Spotting the signs? How a boosting intervention can improve citizens’ ability to recognize online political advertising

This study examines whether a boosting intervention can enhance citizens' ability to recognize online political advertising over time. We employed a two-phase longitudinal design around the 2023 Dutch parliamentary elections (N = 491), where participants mainly encountered political ads on mobile and social media platforms. We first introduced a boosting intervention to a subsample and then conducted a three-week data donation phase to assess participants’ recognition of political ads in their everyday media use. Immediately after the intervention, participants were generally able to identify political ads, drawing on multiple cues such as the “sponsored” label, logos, content, and political intent. However, recognition primarily relied on visual cues rather than disclosures, suggesting that recognition is shaped by a broader set of elements, or cues, than commonly assumed. In the data donation phase, participants struggled to distinguish political ads from other (online) political content, with no overall difference between groups. Yet, recognition improved during the data donation phase among more actively engaged participants. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating visual, contextual, and attitudinal dimensions into advertising literacy efforts.