New APF Resource: The Basic Science Test

Psychological science put into action, built for your social media & news feeds.

Most Americans say they regularly run into news they believe is inaccurate. In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 90% of U.S. adults said they run into it at least sometimes, and 42% said it happens often.

That’s why APF created the Basic Science Test (BS Test) for Public Discourse: a free, six-question tool that helps you spot the signs of manipulation in what you see online.

Manipulation doesn’t target a lack of intelligence. It targets the mental shortcuts we all use. Research shows that small prompts like this make a real difference: across 20 experiments, simply asking people to think about accuracy made them about 10% less likely to say they’d share false headlines.

How it works

Pick one thing to check: a post, article, headline, video, ad, or claim. Answer Yes, Maybe, or No to six questions, each one targeting a common manipulation technique:

• Claims that only circulate among people who already agree
• Numbers stripped of context
• False either/or choices
• Attacks on the messenger instead of the evidence
• Manufactured urgency
• Content designed to provoke a strong reaction before you’ve checked the facts

You’ll get a Green, Yellow, or Red Flag, plus the specific questions that raised concerns. A “Yes” isn’t proof something is false. It’s a signal to slow down and look closer.

It only takes a few minutes. Try it on the next headline that makes your pulse jump, then pass it along to a friend, colleague, or group chat that could use it.

Clear thinking is how we find common ground again.

The Basic Science Test reflects what Direct Action is all about: taking psychological science out of journals and putting it to work in everyday life, where you need it.

Support the American Psychological Foundation’s work to help people tell evidence from manipulation.

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Topics: Direct Action