New study finds most people can't spot digital manipulation. Can you?

Reckon you're pretty good at spotting digital manipulation? A new study suggests you may not be as good as you think.

The study by researchers at the University of Warwick has found that many people aren't very good at determining whether an image has been digitally manipulated. The test asks volunteers to look at 10 different images and guess whether each is altered or unaltered. Volunteers are also tasked with choosing which part of the image they think was altered, along with rating their level of certainty with their decision out of 100.

The study involved 700 men and women being shown 10 photos — 5 of real and 5 faked in some way.

After compiling the results, the researchers found only 65% of altered images were correctly identified; with even less unaltered images identified, at just 58%. Given that chance performance is 50%, the results show that the volunteers did little better than they would have by simply guessing.

Take these two images. Which one has been manipulated?

If you guesed the bottom image (with an unrealistic shadow), you'd be correct.

And although some are more obvious than others, we'll be the first to admit it's still quite a challenge.

"In the digital age, where photo editing is easy and accessible to everyone, this research raises questions about how vigilant we must be before we can trust a picture’s authenticity," said the university in a release. "It is crucial that images used as evidence in courts—and those used in journalism—are better monitored, to ensure they are accurate and truthful, as faked images in these contexts could lead to dire consequences and miscarriages of justice."

Want to give it a try? You can take the online test here. Let us know how you did in the comments.