Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Abstract

The present study investigated whether repetition increases perceived truth even for information explicitly known to be false and how repetition effects interact with source memory. Participants (N = 102) completed two sessions (exposure and test) one week apart. During exposure, they rated the truth of trivia statements presented three times each. Half were explicitly labeled as "true" or "false" (known condition) and half were unlabeled (ambiguous condition). In the test phase, participants judged the truth of all previously seen statements and an equal number of new statements, followed by source memory judgments. Results showed a classic illusory truth effect (ITE) for ambiguous statements, though no ITE emerged for known false statements. Rather, repetition of known falsehoods reduced perceived truth. Based on source memory theory, we predicted that weaker source memory would be associated with a larger ITE; however, this prediction was not supported.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Eric Ruthruff

Second Committee Member

Jeremy Hogeveen

Third Committee Member

Tania Reynolds

Language

English

Keywords

Illusory Truth Effect, Repetition, Familiarity, Processing Fluency, Source Memory, Truth Judgments

Document Type

Thesis

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