Repetition, Choice, and Perceived Truth in a Wellness-Focused World
Wright, Anna McKay
0000-0001-9166-9903
:
2023-03-23
Abstract
Decades of research demonstrates how the information we encounter shapes our beliefs, as well as how our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors shape the information we search for. For instance, the repetition-induced illusory truth effect is a phenomenon where repeated statements are judged as more true than novel ones (Hasher & Goldstein, 1977; for a review, see Dechêne et al., 2010). It has also been shown that we tend to seek out information that aligns with our current beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors (confirmation bias; for a meta-analysis, see Hart et al., 2009). Using a set of wellness claims of varying veracity, this dissertation addresses the critical question of how we construct perceptions of truth for the information we are exposed to through everyday media environments, including when we seek out that information. Experiment 1 tests whether repeated exposure to wellness claims increases perceived truth in those claims, demonstrating a repetition-induced illusory truth effect. Experiment 2 increases the external validity of the findings of Experiment 1 by using claims formatted as they might appear online. Finally, Experiments 3 and 4 investigate the relationship between choosing to consume wellness-related information and perceived truth of wellness claims, providing evidence in support of choice as a potential factor in perceptions of truth and belief. Taken together, this dissertation sheds light on how our choices and beliefs are formed in the domain of wellness information, and also how they drive information-seeking online.