Validation of the Korean Perceived Deepfake Truthfulness Questionnaire: Assessing Digital Critical Thinking Among Adolescents

Adolescents are exposed to deepfake content through social media, and valid tools to evaluate their perceptions of deepfake truthfulness are needed. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate a Korean version of the Perceived Deepfake Truthfulness Questionnaire (PDTQ-K) for adolescents. In total, 250 Korean adolescents with prior exposure to deepfake media participated. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a refined 29-item, four-factor structure—Visual–Audio Inconsistency, Source Credibility Assessment, Content Quality and Coherence, and Message Plausibility—explaining 62.32% of the total variance. CFA supported the adequacy of this structure (χ2 = 520.980, de = 224, CMIN/df = 2.324, CFI = 0.902, TLI = 0.888, RMSEA = 0.073). All factors demonstrated acceptable standardized loadings and internal consistency. Concurrent validity was supported by a significant positive correlation between the PDTQ-K and media literacy levels (r = 0.350, p < 0.001). The PDTQ-K is a reliable and valid tool for assessing adolescents’ perception of deepfake truthfulness, underscoring the importance of integrating deepfake-focused media literacy education into school curricula to strengthen youth’s digital discernment and cognitive resilience.