Choosing to believe: How active sampling enhances the truth effect.
Abstract
= 953) that such active sampling of information increases the truth effect, leading to an enhanced belief in information one had initially been exposed to following one's active choice. We further test both stimulus-based explanations (i.e., people are more likely to sample information that is perceived to be more plausible) and processing-based explanations (i.e., sampling information boosts cognitive processes that also increase the truth effect), with evidence favoring the latter account. Overall, our findings imply that repeated exposure to information has a more profound influence on people's beliefs in settings where people actively choose which information they are exposed to. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Fields of Study & Subjects
Misinformation and Its Impacts
Media Influence and Health
Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Experimental Psychology General
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Volume
- 155
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 569–585
- Publication date
- 8 January 2026
- Language
- EN