How stories in memory perpetuate the continued influence of false information

This paper examines the continued influence effect, where people continue to use misinformation in reasoning even after learning it’s false. The study finds that corrected misinformation has a stronger impact on beliefs when it fills a causal gap in a story, as people prefer a complete (though inaccurate) story over an accurate but incomplete one. However, this effect is less likely with stories that end negatively, as individuals are more motivated to accurately understand negative outcomes.