# The Backfire Effect: Can fact-checking make false beliefs stronger?

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/the-backfire-effect-can-fact-checking-make-false-beliefs-stronger.md
Podcast: [Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics](https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156)
Published: 2025-07-28T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.normalcurves.com/the-backfire-effect-can-fact-checking-make-false-beliefs-stronger
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/media.transistor.fm/fd036035/2d435366.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/episodes/the-backfire-effect-can-fact-checking-make-false-beliefs-stronger
Duration seconds: 3506

## Resource

Can correcting misinformation make it worse? The “backfire effect” claims that debunking myths can actually make false beliefs stronger. We dig into the evidence — from ghost studies to headline-making experiments — to see if this psychological plot twist really holds up. Along the way, we unpack interaction effects, randomization red flags, and what happens when bad citations take on a life of their own. Plus: dirty talk analogies, statistical sleuthing, and why “familiarity” might be your brain’s sneakiest trick. Statistical topics Computational replication Replication Block randomization Problems in randomization Bad citing Interactions in regression Unpublished "Ghost Paper" PDF retrieved from the Wayback Machine Citations Nyhan B, Reifler J. When corrections fail: The persistence of political misperceptions . Political Behavior . 2010;32:303–330. Skurnik I, Yoon C, Schwarz N. “Myths & Facts” about the flu: Health education campaigns can reduce vaccination intentions. Unpublished manuscript, PDF posted separately. Schwarz N, Sanna LJ, Skurnik I, et al. Metacognitive experiences and the intricacies of setting people straight: Implications for debiasing and public information campaigns . Advances in Experimental Social Psychology . 2007;39:127–61. Lewandowsky S, Ecker UKH, Seifert CM, et al. Misinformation and its correction: Continued influence and successful debiasing . Psychological Science in the Public Interest . 2012;13:106–131. Pluviano S, Watt C, Della Sala S. Misinformation lingers in memory: Failure of three pro-vaccination strategies . PLOS ONE . 2017;12:e0181640. Pluviano S, Watt C, Ragazzini G, et al. Parents’ beliefs in misinformation about vaccines are strengthened by pro‑vaccine campaigns . Cognitive Processing . 2019;20:325–31. Wood T, Porter E.…

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