Do Corrective Effects Last? Results from a Longitudinal Experiment on Beliefs Toward Immigration in the U.S

Although interest in the efficacy of efforts to correct false beliefs has peaked in recent years, the extent to which corrective effects endure over time remains understudied. Drawing on insights from related literatures in the psychology of belief, persuasion and media effects to inform theoretical expectations, this study uses a longitudinal experiment to observe both contemporaneous and long-term changes in participants’ belief accuracy in response to corrective information within an ongoing, contentious political debate. We measured factors thought to either promote durability (e.g. repeated exposure to corrective information) or cause decay (e.g. political predispositions, media behaviors) in assessing moderators of the magnitude and longevity of corrections. Corrective effects were found to be quite durable, detectable up to 4 weeks after exposure to the initial message, while repeated exposure corrective information further promoted the longevity of these effects.