Continued Influence Effect
The continued influence effect occurs when corrected misinformation still affects a person's later reasoning or judgments. Someone may remember a correction yet continue using part of the original account when explaining an event. The effect does not mean corrections are useless, and remembering that a false claim circulated is different from accepting it as evidence.
Term statusEstablished Concept
A concept used in academic or professional literature. This label does not mean every claim about it is settled. About these labels.
Evidence for the claims on this page: Research synthesis
The cited review examines residual misinformation effects and correction methods. Continued influence is not evidence that corrections never work.
How to read this assessmentWhat it is
The continued influence effect is the residual influence of misinformation after it has been corrected or retracted. Researchers distinguish remembering a correction from consistently excluding the false information when drawing inferences. (Lewandowsky et al., 2012)
In everyday language
A correction can be understood and remembered, yet an earlier false detail may still shape how someone explains an event.
What it isn't
It does not mean corrections are pointless or always make matters worse. Remembering that a false claim circulated is also different from using it as evidence.
An example
Hypothetical example: a generated event summary wrongly blames a power failure on old wiring. Even after reading a correction, a reader uses the wiring claim to explain why the event was disrupted.
Key features
- Requires misinformation followed by a correction
- Concerns later use of the original information
- Can coexist with awareness that a correction was issued
How it relates to synthetic imprinting
It provides a specific outcome to test after synthetic misinformation is corrected. Researchers can compare formats and measure whether residual influence changes over time.
Research context
Lewandowsky and colleagues review why misinformation can remain influential and which correction approaches help. Results depend on the message, explanation, audience, and measure used. (Lewandowsky et al., 2012)
Related terms
Sources and what they support
- Misinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing — Stephan Lewandowsky, Ullrich K. H. Ecker, Colleen M. Seifert, Norbert Schwarz, John Cook (2012). Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(3), 106–131.
Peer-reviewed review. Reviews why misinformation can continue to influence reasoning and how corrections can be designed more effectively.
Cite this definition
SyntheticImprinting.com Editorial Project. (2026-09-27). Continued Influence Effect. Version 1.4. SyntheticImprinting.com. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/continued-influence-effect/
APA: SyntheticImprinting.com. (2026). Continued Influence Effect. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/continued-influence-effect/
MLA: “Continued Influence Effect.” SyntheticImprinting.com, 2026, https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/continued-influence-effect/. Accessed November 12, 2026.
Chicago: SyntheticImprinting.com. “Continued Influence Effect.” Last modified 2026-09-27. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/continued-influence-effect/.
Revision history
- Version 1.4 · Current
Added claim-level citations and a separate assessment of evidence support. The opening definition is unchanged.
Read this version’s definition
The continued influence effect occurs when corrected misinformation still affects a person's later reasoning or judgments. Someone may remember a correction yet continue using part of the original account when explaining an event. The effect does not mean corrections are useless, and remembering that a false claim circulated is different from accepting it as evidence.
- Version 1.3
Expanded the opening definition; added explicit boundaries, source context, related-term cards, and linked editorial attribution.
Read the previous definition
The continued influence effect occurs when corrected misinformation still affects a person's later reasoning or judgments. Someone may remember a correction yet continue using part of the original account when explaining an event. The effect does not mean corrections are useless, and remembering that a false claim circulated is different from accepting it as evidence.
- Version 1.0
Definition recorded in the previous release. Earlier edits are not reconstructed here.
Read the previous definition
The continued influence effect occurs when corrected misinformation still affects a person's later reasoning or judgments.
What the status means
Established Concept
A concept used in academic or professional literature. This label does not mean every claim about it is settled.
How evidence labels workHelp improve this entry
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