Continued Influence Effect: A Three-Dimensional Framework Shaping Practical and Theoretical Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The continued influence effect (CIE) describes how false information (FI) remains influential post-correction.
• This phenomenon has significant societal implications, yet a unified understanding of its underlying mechanisms is absent.
• Existing explanations for CIE are fragmented, impeding effective mitigation and research guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing explanations for the continued influence effect (CIE).
• To propose a heuristic framework for understanding CIE from cognitive, motivational, and rational perspectives.
• To provide recommendations for mitigating CIE and directing future research.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual reorganization of existing literature on the continued influence effect (CIE).
• Development of a three-dimensional heuristic framework (cognitive, motivational, rational).
• Synthesis of explanations within the proposed framework.

Main Results:

• Existing explanations for CIE were categorized into cognitive, motivational, and rational perspectives.
• A comprehensive heuristic framework was proposed to integrate these diverse explanations.
• The framework facilitates a clearer understanding of the CIE's multifaceted nature.

Conclusions:

• A synthesized understanding of CIE is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• The proposed cognitive, motivational, and rational framework offers a roadmap for future research.
• Targeted strategies informed by this framework can help mitigate the societal impact of false information.