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The truth revisited: Bayesian analysis of individual differences in the truth effect
Martin Schnuerch1, Lena Nadarevic2, Jeffrey N Rouder3
1Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany. martin.schnuerch@psychologie.uni-mannheim.de.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|October 26, 2020
Summary
Most people believe repeated statements are truer (positive truth effect). However, some individuals show a negative truth effect, distrusting repeated information. This study identifies reliable individual differences in how repetition influences perceived truth.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Decision Making
Background:
- The repetition-induced truth effect describes the tendency to perceive repeated statements as more truthful than novel ones.
- This phenomenon is widely observed, suggesting a common cognitive mechanism influencing belief formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate qualitative individual differences in the repetition-induced truth effect.
- To identify and characterize the 'negative truth effect,' where individuals discount repeated statements.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of eight curated truth-effect datasets comprising 1105 participants and 38,904 judgments.
- Bayes factor model comparison to statistically evaluate the presence of negative truth effects.
Main Results:
- Reliable negative truth effects were identified in five out of the eight analyzed datasets.
- This indicates significant qualitative individual differences in response to statement repetition.
Conclusions:
- The existence of both positive and negative truth effects suggests distinct underlying cognitive mechanisms.
- Qualitative individual differences necessitate analyses beyond simple metric measures, focusing on the sign of the effect.
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