Do Beliefs Echo? On the Persistent Effects of Misinformation After Effective Corrections

Does misinformation continue to influence political attitudes even after it has been effectively corrected? According to some influential studies, the answer is yes: while corrections may eliminate belief in false claims, they often fail to erase their attitudinal impact – a phenomenon known as “belief echoes.” To evaluate this claim, we conducted a preregistered, high-powered replication of two out of three experiments from a widely cited study which introduced the phenomenon, using the same treatment materials and a much larger, more representative sample. In the first experiment, the correction did not fully dispel belief in the misinformation, making it impossible to isolate a belief echo from the direct effects of continued belief. In the second, where the correction was demonstrably effective, we find no evidence of a lingering attitudinal effect.