
pmid: 35748514
pmc: PMC7614554
Misinformed beliefs are difficult to change. Refutations that target false claims typically reduce false beliefs, but tend to be only partially effective. In this study, a social norming approach was explored to test whether provision of peer norms could provide an alternative or complementary approach to refutation. Three experiments investigated whether a descriptive norm—by itself or in combination with a refutation—could reduce the endorsement of worldview-congruent claims. Experiment 1 found that using a single point estimate to communicate a norm affected belief but had less impact than a refutation. Experiment 2 used a verbally-presented distribution of four values to communicate a norm, which was largely ineffective. Experiment 3 used a graphically-presented social norm with 25 values, which was found to be as effective at reducing claim belief as a refutation, with the combination of both interventions being most impactful. These results provide a proof of concept that normative information can aid in the debunking of false or equivocal claims, and suggests that theories of misinformation processing should take social factors into account.
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/tedcog, Continued influence effect, 330, Communication, Cognitive Psychology, debunking, belief change, Reasoning, Social and Behavioral Sciences, false beliefs, 004, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/cognitive_science, Memory, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/tedcog; name=TeDCog, name=Cognitive Science, Social Norms, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/cognitive_science; name=Cognitive Science, Humans, name=TeDCog, misinformation, social norms
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/tedcog, Continued influence effect, 330, Communication, Cognitive Psychology, debunking, belief change, Reasoning, Social and Behavioral Sciences, false beliefs, 004, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/cognitive_science, Memory, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/tedcog; name=TeDCog, name=Cognitive Science, Social Norms, /dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/cognitive_science; name=Cognitive Science, Humans, name=TeDCog, misinformation, social norms
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 15 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
