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What is the truth?

We live in a world where there may be 10 different versions or ways to describe or explain the same thing. I had never heard the name Fake News until recently. People have their opinions and preferences that they will voice as if it is the absolute truth.

Advertisements may or may not be accurate. A political cause or charity may benefit no one but the people running it.

How do we know what to believe?

How can we identify misinformation? How can we know the truth?

One truth is that identifying the truth can be rather difficult. One study suggested that in our computerized internet world, false information is 74 percent more likely to be spread than truths.

In this environment, how can we make reasonable judgments about true and false?

Psychologists have struggled with and studied this problem for a long time. One thought on truth finding is that we take in bits and pieces of information. Then we put them together, organize them, then come to some conclusion. Therefore, truth judgments are actually constructed. The judgment may be based on past experience.

For example, having heard similar things in the past, what is the probability that something new or different is true?

Some people judge the truth based on their feelings. They may decide that the feelings triggered by what they have constructed are evidence of truth or not. Or, they may already have a good background and/or knowledge base with which to compare the construction.

If two or all three of these approaches are used at the same time, the accuracy of the true/false decision improves.

What many people do is initially assume that something that they are told is true. Then they might change their mind later if presented with different information. This way of determining truth can lead to some problems in the short run, particularly when dealing with a liar. It can leave them vulnerable to deceit, fraud, being misled, or cheated.

Another way that we may decide if something is true or not is based on the things we frequently see or hear in our daily lives. If we see or hear something a lot, we can assume that it is true. We also see movies, TV shows, and advertisements a lot as well. When we watch or hear those things enough times, they can affect our judgments.

Remember that learning and memory are based on frequency. What that means is that when something is presented over and over again, that information gradually moves from short-term memory to long-term memory. The repetition works. It is generally your long-term memory that you consult when making a truth judgment.

Professionals whose job it is to market and sell products know all about how powerful repeating things is. They know that the more they repeat something, the thing that is repeated most will seem truer than something new or newer. The thinking that the thing you have heard a lot seems more true is called illusory truth. Illusory truth can last a long time. The repetition can make something seem to have real credibility, whether it is credible or not. Think how you would judge a rumor that you have heard over and over again. You might think that the rumor is true.

At times, your feelings may also contribute to making a quick but inaccurate truth judgment. The truth is that you are judging typically does not have any feelings. It is you, the person making the judgment, who has the feelings.

A distinction has to be made between fact and feeling. Strong feelings may sway you in the wrong direction.

How something is said or worded can be a subtle but unrealized influence on what feelings are triggered when deciding true or false, right or wrong. The more positive the feeling, the more likely that you may decide it is true, whether it is or not. A negative mood or feeling may put you in a better place to spot lying or deception.

Misjudging if something is true or false can have a significant impact on you in many ways. It really helps to keep in touch with all of the influences on your thinking that will allow a true judgment that is accurate and valid. Then the decisions you make can be in your best interests.

— Dr. Joseph Switras provides clinical psychological services at United Health District in Fairmont to people age 5 and up.

Starting at $4.50/week.

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