BETA
The illusion of truth effect
Hearing a false claim repeated multiple times makes our brains more likely to accept it as true.
Chapter 1
The psychology of belief
Chapter 2
Digital manipulation tactics
Chapter 3
Fact-checking like a pro
Chapter 4
Spotting logical fallacies
Ch 1 · The psychology of belief
renaissanceman Swipe through viral posts to discover how your brain decides what to believe.
renaissanceman Critical Thinking Power
Question everything! Question everything! Spot the truth, clear and bright.
renaissanceman High-arousal emotions like anger and fear temporarily disable our logical reasoning centers, making us easy targets.
Fun Fact
Fake news speed: False news spreads six times faster than the truth on social media platforms.
renaissanceman Hearing a false claim repeated multiple times makes our brains more likely to accept it as true.
Glossary
confirmation bias (noun)
The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories. English psychologist Peter Wason coined the term in 1960 during his experiments on deductive reasoning.
The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories. English psychologist Peter Wason coined the term in 1960 during his experiments on deductive reasoning.
Quiz
In the 1979 Stanford study on capital punishment, how did participants react to fake studies that opposed their views?
Quiz
What simple action is recommended to prevent emotional manipulation by online headlines?
Quiz
Which brain structure is responsible for triggering strong emotions like anger, which can temporarily hijack our logical thinking?
Quiz
What cognitive shortcut causes us to mistake familiarity for factual accuracy?
Quiz
According to a 2018 MIT study, how much faster does false news spread on Twitter compared to the truth?
Quiz
Which university conducted the landmark 1977 study on the 'illusion of truth' effect?