The effects of beliefs on correcting misinformation in memory

Abstract

We are faced with false information (misinformation) and corrections regularly. Typically, we have no problem correcting misinformation. However, there are individual differences in how effective people are in correcting misinformation and in the scope and magnitude of the influence of misinformation after correction. Understanding individual differences can shed light on the mechanisms that underlie these effects. Here, we asked participants to read fictitious news articles that were later corrected to test their memory of each and identified patterns in user generated text and participants' attitudes that are related to memory performance. Individuals with high negative sentiment selectively remembered corrections better when they were in line with their prior beliefs. Individuals who were selectively better at remembering corrections in line with their beliefs also showed distinct patterns of moral values expressed in what they wrote. This contributes to our understanding of why some people are better at correcting misinformation and how this relates to confirmation bias in memory. Furthermore, this research paves the way for future research on the psychological and neural effects of misinformation.