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New study analyzes why people are resistant to correcting misinformation, offers solutions

Writing 1+1=3 on a blackboard. (stock image)ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Childhood vaccines do not cause autism. President Obama was born in the United States. Global warming is confirmed by science. And yet, many people believe claims to the contrary.



"Misinformation stays in memory and continues to influence our thinking, even if we correctly recall that it is mistaken," said U-M's Colleen Seifert, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Psychology. "Managing misinformation requires extra cognitive effort from the individual.


Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Western Australia and the study's lead author, said "this persistence of misinformation has fairly alarming implications in a democracy because people may base decisions on information that, at some level, they know to be false."

"At an individual level, misinformation about health issues—for example, unwarranted fears regarding vaccinations or unwarranted trust in alternative medicine—can do a lot of damage," he said. "At a societal level, persistent misinformation about political issues (e.g., Obama's health care reform) can create considerable harm. On a global scale, misinformation about climate change is currently delaying mitigative action."


In fact, attempts to correct misinformation often spread the false beliefs even further, they say. That's because corrections may repeat the false information and then explain why it is wrong.


"To be effective, corrections need to tell people what's true without repeating all the stuff that's wrong," said Schwarz, who is also a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business. "The more often people hear a false message, the more likely they are to believe it."

The researchers offer some strategies for setting the record straight.

  • Consider your audience and the beliefs they are likely to hold.
  • Strengthen your message through repetition.

Ullrich Ecker, an assistant professor at the University of Western Australia, and John Cook, a research fellow at University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia, also co-wrote the study.