Verdadeiro ou falso? A ambiguidade de uma lista de frases permite o estudo de processos de atribuição de verdade

Abstract

In this paper we present the results of two pretests of the perceived truth of statements about different topics. The goal of this work is to find statements that are considered ambiguous in regard to truth value, showing the relevance of this kind of stimuli to study biases in the perception of truth. The statements were pretested with two Portuguese samples and had two different criteria to define ambiguity. In the first pretest, a set of true statements were evaluated in a scale of truth probability and these evaluations were contrasted with those of the false version of the same statements (by altering a small detail in the true statement). Here, ambiguity was defined by both versions of a statement being evaluated as equally true/false. In the second pretest, statements were categorized in a “true/false” dichotomy and evaluated only in their true or false version. Here, ambiguity was defined equal proportions of participants that considered a statement true and participants that considered it false. Some of the ambiguous statements were pretested regarding the degree of “amusement” they promote, to control for the possible interference of affective reactions in their judgments.