Hi! I’m Toby Prike and I am a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide.
I am primarily a cognitive psychologist, but also extensively incorporate social psychology and individual differences research within my work. I am interested in how and why we believe the things we do, and the impacts of those beliefs, and this focus guides the work conducted within the Beliefs, Attitudes, and Reasoning Lab.
I am also a strong advocate for scientific reform, including advocating for open science and other reforms to enhance scientific credibility. Related to these interests, I thoroughly enjoy teaching research methods and statistics, and encouraging critical and scientific thinking in my students.
My primary research interests focus on the impact of misinformation and non-evidence-based beliefs (e.g., conspiracy theories, paranormal beliefs, science denial), with an emphasis on strategies that can be used to try and reduce their influence and negative impacts. I also maintain a broader set of research interests across the domains of migration, metacognition, reasoning, and cognitive bias.
Recent Publications
Fact-checking election-campaign misinformation: Impacts on noncommitted voters’ feelings and behavior
Prike, T., Baker, J., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2024). Fact-checking election-campaign misinformation: Impacts on noncommitted voters’ feelings and behavior. Political Psychology, 00(1-20). https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.13059
Source-credibility information and social norms improve truth discernment and reduce engagement with misinformation online
Prike, T., Butler, L. H., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2024). Source-credibility information and social norms improve truth discernment and reduce engagement with misinformation online. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 6900. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57560-7
Intellectual humility is associated with greater misinformation discernment and metacognitive insight but not response bias
Prike, T., Holloway, J., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2024). Intellectual humility is associated with greater misinformation discernment and metacognitive insight but not response bias. Advances.in/Psychology, 2, e020433. https://doi.org/10.56296/aip00025
Examining the replicability of backfire effects after standalone corrections
Prike, T., Blackley, P., Swire-Thompson, B., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2023). Examining the replicability of backfire effects after standalone corrections. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 8(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-023-00492-z
Effective correction of misinformation
Prike, T., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2023). Effective correction of misinformation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 54, 101712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101712
Would I lie to you? Party affiliation is more important than Brexit in processing political misinformation
Prike, T., Reason, R., Ecker, U. K. H., Swire-Thompson, B., & Lewandowsky, S. (2023). Would I lie to you? Party affiliation is more important than Brexit in processing political misinformation. Royal Society Open Science, 10(2), 220508. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220508