The Illusory Truth Effect

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One of the largest issues with the United States political parties is that the American people never know
what information is actually true versus false. We commonly hear the term “fake news” from our
president, but how do we know if it is actually fake? The answer is we do not fully know, and one of the
causes for this could be due to the illusory truth effect. The illusory truth effect is the act of repeating
certain information until people actually start to believe it. In the article, Illusory Truth, Lies, and Political
Propaganda: Part 1 by Joe Pierre, he talks about when this effect is at its strongest. He claims, “The
illusory truth effect tends to be strongest when statements are related to a subject about which we
believe ourselves to be knowledgeable, and when statements are ambiguous such that they aren’t
obviously true or false at first glance” (Pierre). This effect seems most applicable to our political parties,
and especially on the news channels. 
The illusory effect is not only spread with verbal repetition, but studies have shown that bold text and
contrasting fonts also aid in the spread of this effect. An example of this is easily seen among the news
channels. Depending on the channel, they can be very biased towards a certain political party. News
channels strategically place certain ideas in the headlines of their newscasts so it is the first and main
thing the viewers see while watching. They also keep the headline on the screen for the entirety of the
newscast which forces the viewers to repeatedly read the headline and for the idea gets drilled into their
heads. This effect also commonly happens during elections, because usually one political candidate
tries to slander the other with wrong information to ruin their reputation. An example of this is during the
presidential campaign or Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, when Trump nicknamed Hillary as “crooked
Hillary” and said that she has been lying to the FBI by hiding emails during her time as secretary of state
between 2009 and 2013. Trump repeatedly told his followers this information even though it was never
proven, and they believed him. Trump is not the first politician to do this, and for sure will not be the last.
How The Right Co-Opted 'Fake News'


This affects the entirety of society because we do not know whether or not to believe this information.
It is especially prominent for my generation due to the fact that we are younger and more new to the
politics of the country, and have to obtain more knowledge about the subject. Especially when it comes
to politics, my generation is the future of this country. What we know, or what we think we know, is very
important to the well being of ourselves, and the well being of the country as a whole. 






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