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cognitive bias
Repetition bypasses our ability to spot lies.
A 2015 study showed that repeating a false statement increases its perceived credibility, even when participants already know the facts.
Researchers presented participants with known falsehoods they had previously proven they knew were wrong. After hearing the falsehoods repeated, participants were significantly more likely to rate them as true because the human brain mistakes the ease of processing a familiar sentence for factual accuracy.
Familiarity feels so much like truth that we easily mistake one for the other.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Fazio et al., 2015, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Illusory Truth Effect)
- What the check found
- The cited study (Fazio et al., 2015, JEP: General) indeed demonstrated that the illusory truth effect occurs even when participants have prior knowledge that contradicts the false statement.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.