The term
What the illusory-truth effect is
The finding that a statement encountered more than once is judged more likely to be true on the strength of repetition alone — and that this operates even against knowledge the person could use to flag the claim as false. The engine under a repeated version of events, a chanted slogan, and saturation propaganda alike.
That is how The Machinery of Compliance defines it — a free, source-checked book on coercive control by Willow Whitman, published here in full with its notes.
In the book
Where illusory-truth effect is taken apart
Free to read in full, each chapter with its sources.
- The Trained Nervous SystemCoercion's deepest work happens below belief: through repetition and unpredictable reward, compliance, fear, and self-blame stop being choices and become…
- The Machinery of ComplianceCompliance is not a character flaw but a machine with identifiable parts — and the same parts assemble the same way whether the hand on the switch belongs to…
Asked and answered
Questions
What is illusory-truth effect?
The finding that a statement encountered more than once is judged more likely to be true on the strength of repetition alone — and that this operates even against knowledge the person could use to flag the claim as false. The engine under a repeated version of events, a chanted slogan, and saturation propaganda alike.
Where does The Machinery of Compliance cover illusory-truth effect?
It is treated across 2 chapters of the book, all free to read in full. The closest treatment is Chapter Five: The Trained Nervous System.
Related: Gaslighting · DARVO · Traumatic bonding · Learned helplessness · Zersetzung
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