The Elusive Backfire Effect: Mass Attitudes' Steadfast Factual Adherence
Wood & Porter (2019) · Political Behavior, 41
Relied on in 1 place across the academy · 1 stated limit
What it corrects
This one corrects a popular claim rather than making one: the backfire effect — the idea that correcting somebody hardens their belief — proved elusive across thirty thousand participants. People mostly updated toward the facts.
What it found
Across five experiments with more than 10,100 people and 52 contested issues, factual corrections did not produce the feared backfire; people largely accepted the correction.
What it does not show
Political facts, not personal disagreements, and it does not follow that being told you are wrong feels pleasant. It does mean Carnegie's absolute rule is too strong.
Where we rely on it
1 place in the academy. If this paper turned out to be wrong, this is the list that would have to change. Some of the instructions below are part of Gold; none of the findings are.
In the curriculum · 1
Cited alongside it
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Eyal, Steffel & Epley (2018)Disclosing Information About the Self Is Intrinsically Rewarding
Tamir & Mitchell (2012)Research
A real study. We tell you what it found, how many people were in it, and what it can't prove.
Free to read, link to and quote. If we have carried this paper further than it goes, say so at contact@suaviq.com — corrections to this registry are the most useful mail we get.