Factual correction of conspiracism usually fails or backfires

Evidence

Notice what follows from confirmation bias: insofar as conspiracism reflects one’s political loyalties, factual correction of unwarranted conspiracism is bound to be very difficult. At least on some accounts, the attempts to correct misinformation can backfire; they increase the extent to which people believe erroneous information. Even when corrections don’t literally backfire, the repetition of conspiracist charges in the course of refuting them may nonetheless embed them in receptive minds. It is challenging for the media’s reports and refutations to be effective. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 119

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the backfire-effect literature on misinformation correction and motivated reasoning familiar from other reading. — connects to: Weak suppression evidence reinforces rather than weakens conspiracy belief. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 433; Conspiracism’s purpose is delegitimizing opponents, not correcting error — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 16; Disproven conspiracist charges outlive every form of official refutation — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 45 (+17 more)

Broader Connections

• Correcting conspiracy misinformation can backfire and entrench the false belief. #corroborates (1.00) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 119
• Factual corrections rarely backfire even on ideologically charged issues #contradicts (0.95) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 137
• Accusations of hoax resist correction in ways ordinary bias accusations do not #corroborates (0.82) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 243
• Countering conspiracism requires wisdom, not just factual honesty #expands (0.80) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 393