Understanding the effects of fake news corrections on memory and belief accuracy : the roles of reminders, retrieval, and repetition

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Paige L. Kemp (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Christopher Wahlheim

Abstract: Exposure to fake news can have detrimental effects on memories and beliefs, carrying widespread consequences for individuals and society. When it comes to correction strategies, there is an ongoing debate on whether corrections should repeat the fake news details or not. The familiarity backfire account argues that repeating fake news increases its familiarity and perceived accuracy, thereby impairing memory and belief accuracy. Conversely, integration-encoding accounts propose that repeating fake news can facilitate memory and belief accuracy by facilitating conflict detection and allowing both representations to be integrated together. In this integrated dissertation, three empirical papers are presented to build on previous work by exploring how fake news reminders, retrieval, and repeated exposure influences correction efficacy on memory and belief accuracy. The findings observed here more closely align with integration-encoding accounts than the familiarity backfire account, in showing that increasing accessibility to fake news can improve correction efficacy. However, it was also found that increasing accessibility to fake news can also impair memory and belief accuracy when corrections are not remembered, thus emphasizing the moderating role of recollection-based retrieval. Theoretical and practical implications of this work are discussed along with directions for future work to establish a more comprehensive understanding of how to effectively correct fake news.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2024
Keywords
Beliefs, Corrections, Fake news, Integration, Memory
Subjects
Fake news $x Psychological aspects

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