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the claim
The 'backfire effect', in which correcting false beliefs strengthens them, has largely failed to replicate, and counter-evidence modestly changes people's minds.
the verdict
CONTESTED PARTIAL
Recorded sources
7 sources for · 1 against
Is it true that the 'backfire effect', in which correcting false beliefs strengthens them, has largely failed to replicate, and counter-evidence modestly changes people's minds?
Partly. Several peer-reviewed studies and a meta-analysis report that corrections reduce false beliefs and that familiarity backfire effects have failed to replicate, though one review still describes the backfire effect as a real obstacle to correcting science denial. The evidence covers specific variants and contexts rather than the general claim in full.
Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 7 sources for, 1 against · Last checked
Evidence for · 7
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Can corrections spread misinformation to new audiences? Testing for the elusive familiarity backfire effect. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-020-00241-6
Evidence against · 1
When Science Denial Meets Epistemic Understanding: Fostering a Research Agenda for Science Education
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Ayça, F. (2021). When Science Denial Meets Epistemic Understanding: Fostering a Research Agenda for Science Education. eric.ed.gov. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00198-y
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More for · 6
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E, P., RB, S., TJ, W., & R, Z. (2024). Correcting misinformation about the Russia-Ukraine War reduces false beliefs but does not change views about the War.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307090
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The backfire effect after correcting misinformation is strongly associated with reliability - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001131
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Correcting vaccine misinformation: A failure to replicate familiarity or fear-driven backfire effects. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281140
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Kemp, P. L., Sinclair, A. H., Adcock, R. A., & Wahlheim, C. N. (2024). Memory and belief updating following complete and partial reminders of fake news. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-024-00546-w
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A., M. J., Brady, B., G., H. C., & Yaakov, S. (2013). Neural Correlates of People's Hypercorrection of Their False Beliefs. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.7916/D8MK6Q1W
Data from: Backfire effects after correcting misinformation are strongly associated with reliability
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Briony, S., Nicholas, M., & P., W. J. (2022). Data from: Backfire effects after correcting misinformation are strongly associated with reliability. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.83bk3j9rx
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