Don't Fall for the Sleeper Effect: How to Protect Yourself from Misinformation
Have you ever encountered a news story or a post on social media that, at the time, you dismissed as unbelievable? Maybe it came from a questionable source, or the claims were too outlandish. Yet, weeks later, you find yourself recalling the information as if it were a fact, without remembering the source's lack of credibility. You may have been a victim of the Sleeper Effect.
This psychological phenomenon explains how a message's persuasive power can increase over time, while the memory of its unreliable source fades. In a world saturated with information and disinformation, understanding the sleeper effect is crucial to protecting your mental landscape. This effect is a primary reason why misinformation and fake news can be so dangerous; they plant a seed of doubt that grows long after you’ve forgotten where it came from.
The Psychology of the Sleeper Effect and Misinformation
The sleeper effect is often weaponized to spread disinformation. A propagandist, or even a foreign actor, can deliberately disseminate a message through a low-credibility channel like a dubious website or an anonymous social media account. Initially, people may dismiss the information. However, over time, the message and its content remain in memory, while the connection to the untrustworthy source is lost. This is how a lie, over time, can start to sound like the truth. The emotional or sensational nature of fake news often makes it stick in our minds, a perfect storm for the sleeper effect to take hold. All this little lie needs is one person with a large platform and a trusting audience to hit repost.
How to Fact-Check and Protect Yourself
Combatting the sleeper effect requires active, conscious effort. Here's a quick guide on how to protect yourself and spot misinformation:
Practice Lateral Reading: Instead of simply reading an article, open new tabs to search for information about the source itself. Look up the publication's "About Us" page, and check for its reputation and funding. Does the source have a clear mission statement and transparent ownership? A lack of this information is a red flag. This simple step can help you verify the credibility of news sources immediately.
Use Fact-Checking Websites: Before you share or believe a viral story, check it against reliable, non-partisan fact-checking organizations. Websites like Snopes, Politifact, and FactCheck.org are great resources. They've already done the hard work of debunking many common hoaxes and false claims.
Perform a Reverse Image Search: Misinformation often relies on using images out of context. A reverse image search on Google Images or TinEye can quickly reveal if a photo is old, doctored, or from a completely different event. This is a powerful tool to fact-check visual misinformation.
Read Beyond the Headline: Sensational headlines are designed to elicit a strong emotional response and get clicks. Always read the full article to understand the context and check for supporting evidence. If an article makes an extraordinary claim, it should have extraordinary proof.
Be Aware of Your Emotions: Misinformation is often crafted to trigger strong feelings like anger, fear, or outrage. If a piece of content makes you feel an extreme emotion, it’s a good sign to pause and verify the information before you share it. This emotional check is a powerful way to resist the spread of disinformation.
By becoming a more critical consumer of information, you can break the cycle of the sleeper effect. Don’t let a lapse in memory dictate your beliefs. Take control of your information intake and ensure the facts, not forgotten fictions, are what guide you.
Final Thoughts
Note from Morgan Piercy, LPC, NCC, ACT-PT: I specialize in working with anxiety, OCD, systemic & political stress, religious trauma, complex trauma, ADHD, and autism. I’m currently accepting new clients in Olathe (119th & Blackbob, right off I-35) and online in Kansas via telehealth. Contact me here to start your journey!