The Consequences of Reading Inaccurate Information

We are regularly confronted with statements that are inaccurate, sometimes obviously so. Unfortunately, people can be influenced by and rely upon inaccurate information, engaging in less critical evaluation than might be hoped. Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated that even when people s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCurrent directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 281 - 285
Main Author Rapp, David N.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2016
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Critical thinking
Decision making
Information
Memory
Problem solving
text processing
learning
memory
misinformation
reading comprehension
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Summary:We are regularly confronted with statements that are inaccurate, sometimes obviously so. Unfortunately, people can be influenced by and rely upon inaccurate information, engaging in less critical evaluation than might be hoped. Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated that even when people should know better, reading inaccurate information can affect their performance on subsequent tasks. What encourages people's encoding and use of false statements? The current article outlines how reliance on inaccurate information is a predictable consequence of the routine cognitive processes associated with memory, problem solving, and comprehension. This view helps identify conditions under which inaccurate information is more or less likely to influence subsequent decisions. These conditions are informative in the consideration of information-design approaches and instructional methods intended to support critical thinking.
ISSN:0963-7214
1467-8721
DOI:10.1177/0963721416649347