myth debunking

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John Cook

Global Change Institute, University of Queensland

Web: http://www.skeptialsiene.o!

"!ail: #ohn$skeptialsiene.o!

%hone: &'( ) **'+ *++*

Myth DebunkingA Tool for Education & ScienceCommunication

Ullrich EckerCognitive Science Laboratories The University of !estern Australia

"ohn Cook#lobal Change $nstitute The University of %ueensland

Stehan Le'ando'sky

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Coyright

( Ecker Cook & Le'ando'sky )*+,*-ullrich.ecker/u'a.edu.au

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The Authors

Dr Ullrich Ecker is an Australian 9ostdoctoral :ello' funded by the Australian 8esearch Council at theUniversity of Australia;s School of 9sychology.

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A 8evie'3 Le'ando'sky et al.)*+,*- in Psychological Science in

the Public InterestFor an authoritative review of the literature on misinformation, please see:Lewandowsky, cker, Seifert, Schwar!, " #ook $%&'%() *isinformation and its correction:#ontinued in+uence and successful debiasing) Psychological Science in the Public Interest,

13, '&-'.')

Abstract:The 'idesread revalence and ersistence of misinformation in contemorary societies such as the falsebelief that there is a link bet'een childhood vaccinations and autism is a matter of ublic concern. :or eamle themyths surrounding vaccinations 'hich romted some arents to 'ithhold immuni>ation from their children have led

to a marked increase in vaccine0reventable disease as 'ell as unnecessary ublic eenditure on research andublic0information camaigns aimed at rectifying the situation.

!e 7rst eamine the mechanisms by 'hich such misinformation is disseminated in society both inadvertently andurosely. Misinformation can originate from rumors but also from 'orks of 7ction governments and oliticians andvested interests. Moreover changes in the media landscae including the arrival of the $nternet have fundamentallyinuenced the 'ays in 'hich information is communicated and misinformation is sread.

!e net move to misinformation at the level of the individual and revie' the cognitive factors that often rendermisinformation resistant to correction. !e consider ho' eole assess the truth of statements and 'hat makes eolebelieve certain things but not others. !e look at eole;s memory for misinformation and ans'er the Buestions of 'hyretractions of misinformation are so ineective in memory udating and 'hy eorts to retract misinformation can even

back7re and ironically increase misbelief. Though ideology and ersonal 'orldvie's can be [email protected] obstacles fordebiasing there nonetheless are a number of eective techniBues for reducing the imact of misinformation and 'eay secial attention to these factors that aid in debiasing.

!e conclude by roviding seci7c recommendations for the debunking of misinformation. These recommendationsertain to the 'ays in 'hich corrections should be designed structured and alied in order to maimi>e their imact.#rounded in cognitive sychological theory these recommendations may hel ractitioners5including @ournalistshealth rofessionals educators and science communicators5design eective misinformation retractions educationaltools and ublic0information camaigns.

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Misinformation3 !hy is it imortant

Decisions are based on information

Misinformation leads to bad decisions

Simle retractions of misinformationare ineFcient

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$neFcient 8etractions

Eamle ,- USA *++23 Many tentative media reorts of

!MD discoveries during $raB invasion

- All retracted- 1onetheless substantial roortion of

oulace continued to believe that !MD;s hadbeen found )?ull et al. *++2-

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Eamle *- U? ,GGH3 Claim that a certain vaccine causes

autism

- 8etracted- 1onetheless substantial and long0lasting dro

in vaccination rates leading to hositali>ationand even death of many children )='ens *++*I 9oland& "acobsen *+,,-

$neFcient 8etractions

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Jmaybe eole missed the

retraction

Lab research sho's that eolecontinue to rely on misinformationeven- 'hen they understand the retraction

- 'hen they correctly remember the retraction

- 'hen they have no reason to believe one event versionor the other

)Ecker et al. *+,+ *+,,a *+,,bI "ohnson & Seifert ,GGK-

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Eamle)Ecker et al. *+,,bI "ohnson & Seifert ,GGKI !ilkes & Leatherbarro' ,GHH-

9eole 7rst read3- J1egligent storage of gas cylinders caused a

7reJ

Then the retraction3- J9olice have con7rmed there 'as no

evidence of gas cylinders or negligencecausing the 7reJ

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Eamle) Ecker et al. *+,,b-

Nerbatim resonses of a erson tolater Buestions3- !hat 'as the content of the olice

message That there !ere no gas cylinders in"ol"ed#$

- !hat caused the elosions

The gas cylinders#$

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!hy

!hy do eole 7nd it diFcult tounlearn i.e. removemisinformation

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etrations Create a Gap

*Y/0

1emovinga myth leavesa gap

2eople hate gaps38emovedmisinformation is

actually still inmemory and eole

use it even 'hen theykno' it is 'rongQ

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ill the Gap

FACT

1eplacewith alternativenarrative

45nless4

The ga can be7lled 'ith lausible

alternativeinformation

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Eamle)Ecker et al. *+,,bI "ohnson & Seifert ,GGK-

9eole 7rst read3- J1egligent storage of gas cylinders caused a

7reJ

Then a retraction including acausal alternative3- J9olice have con7rmed there 'as no

evidence of gas cylinders or negligencecausing the 7reJ

- 64but arson materials have beenfound47

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+

,

*

2

K

O

1o08etraction

8etraction

8etractionPAlternative

8eferencestoa9ieceof)M

is-$nformation

Continued $nuence after a 8etractionEcker et al. )*+,,a-

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"le!ent ( of an "ffetive 0ebunking

Create a

ga 'ith aretraction

:ill the ga

'ith afactual

alternative

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The Curiosity #a

$f you retract a myth in someone;shead the ga is obvious.

Rut sometimes eole are una'areof their kno'ledge gas.

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%ight sticky

ideas !ith

stickier ideas#$The Curiosity#a3#enerate

curiosity byointing outkno'ledge

gasI then 7llthose gas

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Create aga 'ith aretraction

:ill the ga'ith afactual

alternative

9oint out a ga

to generatecuriosity

:ill the ga

'ithans'ers toBuestions

"le!ent ( of an "ffetive 0ebunking

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8etractions can back7re

The last th