Illusory Truth Effect

The illusory truth effect is a cognitive bias where we tend to believe information is correct after repeated exposure. The more we hear a statement, the more familiar it becomes, and our brains mistake that familiarity for truth.

This happens even if the information is false and even if we initially knew it was false. The repetition itself is what creates the sense of truth.

How It Works

1. Repetition: A piece of information (or misinformation) is repeated through various channels (e.g., social media, news, conversation).
2. Increased Familiarity: The brain processes the repeated information more easily and fluently.
3. Familiarity Mistaken for Truth: This cognitive ease is misattributed as a signal of truthfulness. We think, "I've heard this before, so it must be true."

Implications

This effect is a powerful tool in advertising, propaganda, and the spread of misinformation. When correcting misinformation, simply negating the false statement (e.g., "It's not true that X") can backfire. By repeating the original falsehood ("X"), you inadvertently strengthen its familiarity and can make it seem more true over time.

A better approach is to replace the falsehood with a positive, true statement, avoiding repetition of the original misinformation.

Tags: #psychology #cognition #bias #illusory-truth-effect #repetition #familiarity #memory #misinformation