Blog Post #7 EOTO 2

 For my EOTO reaction post #2 I chose to talk about Ryan Seide's topic which was the illusory truth theory. I found this really interesting and something that I decided to learn more about after the presentations. to start out, the Illusory truth theory is a cognitive bias that occurs when repeated exposure to a statement makes people more likely to believe it is true, even if it is actually false. Essentially, the more often people hear or encounter a piece of information, the more they tend to accept it as true, regardless of its accuracy. One thing that stood out during the presentation is the video about all of the news anchors that were reading the same script no matter the political beliefs that one may have. Next up I will be talking about the science behind the illusory truth effect. The illusory truth effect was first studied by psychologist Lynn Hasher and her colleagues in the 1970s. In their experiments, participants were shown a series of true and false statements. They found that after hearing each statement multiple times, participants were more likely to believe the false statements were true, simply because they had been repeated. This effect is linked to the brain’s tendency to favor familiarity. When we hear something more than once, it becomes easier for our brains to process, leading to the false assumption that it must be true. This effect is also stronger when we don't have the motivation or resources to critically evaluate the information presented. In the age of social media, the illusory truth effect is more relevant than ever. Misinformation, rumors, and fake news spread like wildfire online, often because people are exposed to these falsehoods repeatedly. The sheer frequency with which a statement is repeated, whether it’s through news outlets, social media posts, or conversations, can make even the most dubious claim seem credible. For instance, political campaigns and advertising often use repetition as a strategy to reinforce a particular message. The more a candidate or company repeats a slogan or claim, the more likely it is that people will start to believe it, even if it’s misleading or untrue just like we saw in the video that was shown for the presentation. The illusory truth effect is a powerful psychological bias that influences the way we process and believe information. In a world where misinformation spreads easily, it’s essential to recognize the impact of repetition on our beliefs. By becoming more mindful of how familiarity shapes our perceptions and taking steps to critically evaluate the information we encounter, we can better navigate the complex landscape of news, media, and social platforms and to avoid being swayed by the repetition of false stories.