Illusory Truth Effect and its Impact on the Modern United States

The Illusory Truth Effect is an interesting topic given its ideas and statements, especially since it is an effect that has existed for a long period of time. In this scenario, the theory describes how "when we hear the same false information repeated again and again, we often come to believe it is true." Over the past few decades, various modern and classic forms of this type of misinformation have affected people's thoughts through repeated statements and words.

Many people living in the United States have been victims of a domino effect in terms of the spread of false information, with many stating certain points and ideas, despite the fact that they most likely know they are false.

The Initial Discovery

The effect was first identified in a 1977 study in Pennsylvania by David Goldstein and Lynn Hasher from Temple University, and Thomas Toppino from Villanova University. Their research involved many statements, with subjects rating how certain they were that each was true or false. Various categories and topics were involved, such as History, Sports, Science, and Religion.

Out of a list of 140 different statements, 20 were chosen to be repeated sentences. At the same time, another 40, half of which were considered to be true, and the other half were considered to be false, were chosen as the middle point between the repeated instances, representing a total of sixty statements presented to each subject. 

The results of the study showcased that most individuals chose specific answers because of repeated statements, despite knowing the difference between each one. Because of this, Goldstein, Lasher, and Toppino declared that this research supported the general idea that "if people are told something often enough, they'll believe it."

Misinformation in Politics

One of the most popular instances of the Illusory Truth Effect's identification revolves around politics, with many individuals referencing "The Big Lie" as the most well-known example of this case, which is the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from the former U.S. President Donald Trump, in addition to the Republicans who approved of current U.S. President Joe Biden's victory being part of a large non-existent conspiracy.

In this scenario, the results of the election were confirmed by various state and federal courts, with many of their judges having been put on the bench by Trump. Despite this, many of those who endorsed him, including Trump himself, stated that the election was "rigged."

The spread of "The Big Lie," in addition to other false claims, has caused supporters and other individuals to think differently about the election, which was one of the leading causes of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021, which took place two months after Trump's defeat.

Despite many pieces of evidence showcasing that the results of the election were accurate, people to this day still believe that they are false, even if they know it is the contrary, due to the spread and repetition of these statements that involve "The Big Lie" as a whole.

Deception During a Global Pandemic

In early 2020, the Coronavirus Pandemic became a worldwide issue, with many individuals in the U.S. attempting to figure out the exact origins of the virus. Some sources have stated that COVID-19 originated through a laboratory leak, while others have said it originated in animals, with the main contender being bats. 

These two theories are the most common statements made by people regarding said origins of the virus. Despite this, the truth is that no individual really knows its exact origins, as there have been various documents and pieces of evidence supporting and denying both theories. 

Although the real answer is that there is no actual origin, some people will still believe that the Coronavirus came from one of the two aforementioned statements, even if they are well aware that is clearly not the case.

This is evident in various conspiracies that have emerged days after the confirmation of an unknown origin, with many individuals in the U.S. intelligence community stating they disagree with the statement and believe that the transfer of the virus from animals to humans might have been the leading cause.

How Does it Affect Us?

In terms of effects, we might think of certain topics and ideas in different ways as a sort of form of delusion, especially since we might be trying our hardest to believe one statement that is true and valid, but because we might have heard another one various times, we're inclined to believe it more, even if it is incorrect.

As the aforementioned topics and examples clearly show, this way of thinking can affect anyone, no matter what position, class, race, gender, or any other type of demographic one may be. Simply put, the illusory truth effect can have a long-term impact if people allow it to do so.