| Sumario: | Repeated exposure to information increases the credibility of this information, a well-studied phenomenon called the truth effect. While this phenomenon has been studied extensively by passively exposing people to preselected information pieces, in real-world contexts, people often sample information actively (e.g., by clicking on a headline on social media). In the present research, we propose and demonstrate in eight preregistered experiments (N = 953) that such active sampling of information increases the truth effect, leading to an enhanced belief in information one had initially been exposed to following one's active choice. We further test both stimulus-based explanations (i.e., people are more likely to sample information that is perceived to be more plausible) and processing-based explanations (i.e., sampling information boosts cognitive processes that also increase the truth effect), with evidence favoring the latter account. Overall, our findings imply that repeated exposure to information has a more profound influence on people's beliefs in settings where people actively choose which information they are exposed to. Public Significance Statement: Repeated information is more likely to be perceived as true than nonrepeated information, a well-studied phenomenon called the truth effect. Research on this effect suggests that repetition of information also contributes to beliefs in fake news and misinformation on social media. On social media, however, people often actively select which information they are exposed to (e.g., by clicking on a headline). Our research shows that active sampling of information increases the truth effect, particularly due to enhanced elaboration of the information compared to passive exposure. Overall, our studies imply that the truth effect is particularly pronounced when people actively choose which information they are exposed to.
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