Correcting political and consumer misperceptions

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PrePubReport.pdf(1.04 MB)
Accepted manuscript
Date
2017-01-13
Authors
Amazeen, Michelle A.
Thorson, Emily
Muddiman, Ashley
Graves, Lucas
Version
OA Version
Citation
Michelle A. Amazeen, Emily Thorson, Ashley Muddiman, Lucas Graves. 2017. "Correcting Political and Consumer Misperceptions." Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, pp. 107769901667818 - 107769901667818.
Abstract
While fact-checking has grown dramatically in the last decade, little is known about the relative effectiveness of different formats in correcting false beliefs or overcoming partisan resistance to new information. This article addresses that gap by using theories from communication and psychology to compare two prevailing approaches: An online experiment examined how the use of visual “truth scales” interacts with partisanship to shape the effectiveness of corrections. We find that truth scales make fact-checks more effective in some conditions. Contrary to theoretical predictions and the fears of some journalists, their use does not increase partisan backlash against the correction or the organization that produced it.
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