When Truth Hurts: How Rectifying Misinformation Can Lead to Unintended Consequences

• In Event: Persuasion, Compliance, and Attitude Change

Abstract

Once people have been confronted with a piece of information, it is hard to erase it—even if it turns out that the information was incorrect. In the worst case, the attempt to rectify misinformation can lead to solidification, resulting in even more people remembering the misinformation as true. So far, this so called backfire effect has been found in the context of health statement. In the present study, we transfer this phenomenon to the media environment and can show that misremembering myths as facts also occurs when misinformation is presented within an interview. Furthermore, we identify two moderators that amplify the backfire effect: The repetition of the myths before its rectification and the judgment formation strategy. Furthermore, results show that this flaw in memory also has consequences for people’s attitudes.

Authors

• Christina V. Peter, Ludwig-Maximilians-U Munich

• Thomas Koch, Ludwig-Maximilians-U Munich