Blog Post #8: The Illusory Truth Effect

    Carrots drastically improve your eyesight, and per year, you swallow 8 spiders while you are asleep. If you have ever heard any of these common sayings, you are a victim of the illusory truth effect. This theory states that the more frequently you hear a piece of information, the more likely you are to believe that it is true. The reasoning behind this is that repetition increases familiarity, tricking your brain into believing the validity and accuracy of the familiar claim.

    The illusory truth effect was first established in the early 1970s through a series of psychological studies. Lynn Hasher, David Goldstein, and Thomas Toppino are credited with the initial research on this theory. They tested their subjects to see if repeating a statement would increase the likelihood that others would believe it. Participants were shown a series of claims by the researchers, some of which were true and some of which weren't. Researchers discovered that people were more likely to trust things that had been presented more frequently, whether or not they were accurate, after hearing some of these comments repeated several times.

Researchers observed that, under controlled conditions on a series of tests several weeks apart, each time an incorrect statement was repeated, participants' confidence in the validity of the statement rose; judgments of the validity of assertions presented uniquely on each test never changed. This theory applies to both information that is true and false, however, the false information that is recognized to be true aids in the spread of misinformation and swaying of public opinion. 

Recently, the world was exposed to the illusory truth effect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the claim that this pandemic was created as a deliberate biological weapon was rapidly shared and gained traction as true, despite a lack of credible evidence. While information and medical statistics were rapidly shared on line, the accuracy of the information was not often confirmed by reputable sources. Due to an overload of posts regarding the health crisis, it was reported that over a quarter of the posts shared on Twitter regarding the COVID-19 pandemic were false information, yet it was globally perceived to be accurate. 

While the illusory truth effect can benefit the spread of correct information and aid in educating the public, it can be far more harmful to the spread of false and potentially harmful information. Younger generations who utilize various online and social media platforms are at a higher risk of intaking false information, yet processing it as true through repetition on multiple sites. However, older generations may escape the negative effects of this theory if they rely on receiving their news and information for reputable sources. 

The illusory truth effect is pervasive, and appears in our daily lives without our acknowledgement. While this theory can help to process and retain important and correct information, it can be just as damaging with the reverse and incorrect information. No one is excluded from this theory, as every person has been exposed to this memory and recognition game.