ABSTRACT
The effect of repetition on enhancing the perceived validity of information has long been independently established by several researchers (e.g., Arkes, Hackett, & Boehm, 1989; Bacon, 1979; Begg, Armour, & Kerr, 1979; Gigerenzer, 1984; Gude & Zechmeister, 1975; Hasher, Goldstein, & Toppino, 1977; Schwartz, 1982). Taken together, these studies have all found that if information has been heard previously, people are likely to ascribe more truth or validity to it than if they are hearing it for the first time. This phenomenon, referred to as the “validity effect”, occurs regardless of the type of information (factual, nonfactual, or political), regardless of whether the information was originally believed to be true or false, and regardless of whether the exact wording was repeated.
