Continued influence effect
The tendency for false information to keep shaping our thinking even after it has been corrected. We may remember the correction, yet the original story still guides our judgments.
In everyday life
A job candidate is wrongly described as having been fired from their last role; even after the team is told it was a mix-up, they still rate the candidate lower.
A rumor says a local cafe failed a hygiene inspection; the paper prints a retraction, but weeks later you still steer friends to a different cafe without quite knowing why.
Why your mind does this
Holding steady beliefs lets us act without rethinking everything each time. Favoring information that fits what we already know is fast, protects our sense of being right, and keeps our picture of the world stable and coherent.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Confirms beliefs
How to spot it
Ask yourself whether any part of your opinion rests on a claim you later learned was false.
How to counter it
When correcting a false claim, replace it with a clear, true explanation so the gap in the story doesn't get filled by the old version.