The Psychology of Misinformation - by DomoFutu - Domo Futu

We have more information at our fingertips than ever before. But with all this knowledge flying around, why do so many people still hold on to beliefs that have proven false? It turns out the answer lies in how our brains work, social dynamics, and the way we process information.

One of the biggest reasons misinformation sticks is something called the continued influence effect, which basically means that even when we know something isn’t true, we still tend to rely on it. Once an idea takes root in our minds, it becomes part of the way we understand the world—even if it’s later debunked.

Why? Because our brains love a good story. When corrections come in, they often disrupt the neat narrative we’ve created around the original information. If that correction doesn’t come with a better, more complete story, we’re likely to fall back on what we already know, even if it’s wrong.

I remember when I used to teach an educational psychology course to undergraduates. When we got to the topic of reinforcement versus punishment, I’d make a point to warn them that they likely already had preconceived notions about what these terms meant. Most students thought negative reinforcement was just another term for punishment, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I would stress that if they didn’t actively work to shift those misconceptions, they’d miss an essential aspect of behaviorist psychology. Even when I provided clear examples showing that negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to strengthen a behavior (like turning off a loud alarm when a seatbelt is buckled), some students still found it hard to let go of their initial misunderstanding. And, a few would inevitably miss those questions on the exam—a perfect (if unfortunate) example of how deeply the continued influence effect can run.

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