The Effect of Contradictory Information on Recently Acquired Knowledge

Abstract

When individuals encounter information contradicting their beliefs, they may briefly retain the contradiction, but are likely to revert to their original beliefs over time. Past research has focused on the effects of prior knowledge and consistency of information when prior knowledge was well-established. This study investigated the effects of prior knowledge and information consistency for recently acquired knowledge. By learning whether the same reverting effect holds for recently acquired information, interventions can be sought to enhance recall of important information. Participants in this study were given two information packages about a fictional animal and their recall on various facts tested. Although a large proportion of participants recalled the updated information, overall recall of contradicted information after two weeks was reduced compared to when information was consistent. Recall of the original information was shown to resurface.