illusory truth effect

What is it?

When repeated false information enough times, people will begin to believe that it is true

Background

The first study on the subject in 1977 at Villanova university and Temple university. People were asked to judge statements some being true some being false, over a period of time. When people participating in this experience, the more they heard the false information over time the more they started to believe it. This is a great way to explain how rumors get spread, a lot of people just believe what they hear, they don't go to the extra step to find out the information. They take this information they hear and go along and tell other people confidently even if they don't mean to spread false information just because that is to what they believe true. 

Results

Researchers who were working on this experiment found that after telling their participants the fake information the results were that the participants were more likely to rate trivia statement and headlines as true if they had seen or heard them them previously before.