When comparing the effect emotional and non emotional narratives on misinformation persistence, the researchers found that any narrative correction lowered endorsement of misinformation by a statistically significant amount. However, when surveyed about their attitudes towards tobacco products post-narrative, those who received an emotional narrative correction viewed them less favorably. 

Effect of Emotional Narrative Corrections to Misinformation

To study if narrative corrections were a viable method for countering belief echoes, Sangalang et al. compared narratives that contained an emotional correction, a non-emotional correction, and no correction and their effect on misinformation endorsement. Their messaging related to false claims about "all natural" cigarettes and tobacco products. 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Narratives have been known to aid in the spread of misinformation. This is because they often seem to provide a causal mechanism for unexplained phenomenon. For example, a seemingly neurologically normal child who gets a vaccine then begins to show signs of autism could be used an anecdotal evidence for the misinformation that vaccines cause autism. Narrative information is also more salient during encoding and retrieval, making it easier to remember. Knowing this, narratives could also be adopted as a corrective measure against misinformation. 

Dual Role of Narratives: Spreading and Correcting Misinformation

The term relating to the persistent false beliefs that remain even after the misinformation correction has been consciously accepted; the result of the continued influence effect. 

Belief Echoes

Sangalang, A., Ophir, Y., Capella, J. N. (2019). The Potential for Narrative Correctives to Combat Misinformation. Journal of Communication, 69(3), 298-319. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqz014

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