You may have read 1984 back in high school. When the party repeats the same lies over and over again and over time, the people believe it.
It’s frightening how easily this works. Nefarious actors exploit this constantly with misinformation, “fake news,” etc.
Back in 1977, researchers at Villanova and Temple University found that when thinking about what is true or false, people will tend to rely upon the information hat feels familiar.
They found that repetition makes statements easier to process over newer, unfamiliar statements. This leads us to believe that the repeated information is more accurate.
Later, in 2015, researchers found that familiarity can overpower rationality. Yikes!
🎯 Here are some key takeaways:
Don't be evil
The power of this phenomenon can be used ethically to enhance a user's experience or unethically to deceive users. Don't be evil!
Repetition builds familiarity
Repeated exposure to the same messages or design elements can make them feel more truthful and familiar to users.
Leverage for onboarding
When onboarding new users, repeatedly expose them to key tasks or features to increase their understanding and likelihood of remembering these functions.
Design for recognition
Repeating elements across your design can increase recognition and usability, which will improve the experience.
Keep it simple
Information that's easier to process, like simple language, is more likely to be believed when repeated, so keep content clear and straightforward.
📚 Keep exploring
To dive deeper into the topic of The Illusory Truth Effect and its implications for decision-making, check out these resources:
