Correcting erroneous inferences in memory: The role of source credibility

• We examine whether erroneous information can be effectively corrected by a credible source.
• Receiving a correction from a source high in trustworthiness and expertise reduces use of erroneous information.
• Source expertise alone is not sufficient to reduce participants’ reliance on the original information.
• Source trustworthiness alone significantly decreases participants’ use of the original information.
• Inferences persist in part because people do not believe corrections.

People often continue to rely on erroneous information about people and events, even in the face of subsequent counter information. The current study examined whether this information could be effectively corrected by a credible source. We examined two aspects of credibility: trustworthiness and expertise. Experiment 1 showed that receiving a correction from a source high in trustworthiness and expertise reduced participants’ use of original information when making inferences. Experiment 2 showed that source expertise alone was not sufficient to reduce participants’ reliance on the original information. The results from Experiment 3 showed that source trustworthiness alone significantly decreased participants’ use of the original information when making inferences. The results suggest that people may be able to reduce their use of original information if they receive a correction from a person who is deemed to be highly trustworthy. These findings have implications for decision making in politics and other applied areas.