Van Huijstee: "Misinformation spreads online at lightning speed and can cause great damage. For example, it can undermine trust in politics or it can pose a direct risk to public health. Many existing misinformation interventions, such as fact checks, solely focus on correcting facts. The problem with this is that someone can believe that certain information is not true, but (unconsciously) still has a negative feeling about it. That's why I wanted to know to what extent people continue to be influenced by incorrect information after it has been explicitly corrected."
Feelings more difficult to correct than knowledge
"Misinformation leaves a 'lasting stain' on our opinions and intentions, even when we know that information is false," says Van Huijstee. "I investigated the psychology behind it and how factors such as misinformation valence and the timing of a correction influence this. It turns out to be easier to correct someone's belief in the misinformation and knowledge (the facts) than someone's feelings (the attitude)."
"Negative misinformation such as a false accusation sticks, even after correction, more than positive misinformation does. A fact check often only corrects the facts, but the broader erroneous conclusions that people have already drawn themselves remain. My research also shows that a correction works best if it not only mentions that something is incorrect, but also explains exactly why."