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illusory_truth_effect
The illusory truth effect is the tendency to believe information is true after repeated exposure, regardless of its actual veracity. Repetition increases processing fluency, which the brain misinterprets as a signal of truth. This effect persists even when people initially knew the information was false or when the source is known to be unreliable.
A false claim that 'we only use 10% of our brains' has been repeated so often in popular culture that many people accept it as scientific fact, despite neuroscientists consistently debunking it.
During an election campaign, a candidate repeatedly claims that the country's crime rate is 'the highest it has ever been.' Despite the claim being statistically false, polls show that a large portion of voters believe crime is at a record high by the end of the campaign.
A gym chain's slogan — 'Lactic acid is what causes muscle soreness after exercise' — appears on posters, social media, and merchandise for years. Although exercise scientists have long known this to be inaccurate, many gym-goers and even some trainers confidently repeat it as fact.
Binary (yes/no) questions an LLM must answer to identify this aspect:
Is a claim or statement repeated multiple times?
Type: binaryIs the repetition serving as the primary basis for believing it?
Type: binaryIs there a lack of independent evidence beyond the repeated assertion?
Type: binaryThe illusory truth effect is the tendency to believe information is true after repeated exposure, regardless of its actual veracity. Repetition increases processing fluency, which the brain misinterprets as a signal of truth. This effect persists even when people initially knew the information was false or when the source is known to be unreliable.
Repeated exposure increases processing fluency - the ease with which information is mentally processed. The brain confuses this feeling of familiarity and ease with truth, a phenomenon known as the fluency-truth link.
Always check primary sources for claims you encounter repeatedly. Be especially skeptical of assertions that 'everyone knows' without citing evidence, as repetition is not verification.
Political campaigns and advertising rely heavily on this effect by repeating simple messages and slogans, knowing that familiarity breeds belief regardless of factual accuracy.
Use these tools to detect, analyze, or train this aspect.