Table 5.
Familiarity and believability ratings of false claims in pilot study
| Claim | Familiarity | Believability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | SD | M | SD | |
| aFacebook is about to launch a “no swearing” campaign | 1.52 | 0.95 | 2.69 | 1.07 |
| Frequently wearing silk garments in direct contact with the skin can cause spontaneous lactation | 1.53 | 0.96 | 3.65 | 0.98 |
| a50,000 men were raped in South Africa last year | 1.56 | 1.04 | 3.66 | 0.92 |
| NASA is predicting six consecutive days of darkness in the Northern hemisphere in 2022 due to a rare astronomical event | 1.57 | 1.07 | 3.25 | 1.06 |
| aThe ratio of male:female CEOs in Manchester, UK is 1:1 | 1.60 | 0.94 | 3.59 | 1.03 |
| aThe outer skin of a pineapple emits a dangerous toxin into the environment when it breaks down | 1.60 | 1.02 | 2.19 | 1.19 |
| The Cinderella Castle at Disneyland Florida can be disassembled during hurricanes | 1.64 | 1.04 | 3.24 | 1.11 |
| Fibers found in cow skin are now being added to Botox injections | 1.76 | 1.09 | 2.85 | 1.00 |
| “Camo” the German shepherd is the only dog in history to become an Officer of the British Empire | 1.76 | 1.07 | 2.52 | 1.06 |
| aHugh Hefner donated a fifth of his will to the Planned Parenthood charity | 1.84 | 1.08 | 2.47 | 0.99 |
| aPlacing a car battery on a cement floor can drain it and lead to its decay | 1.90 | 1.28 | 2.74 | 1.39 |
| The first artificial intelligence robot has been appointed as a teaching assistant in Japan | 2.00 | 1.11 | 2.21 | 0.97 |
| Nike footwear has to meet a quota of containing at least 20% recycled materials | 2.10 | 1.17 | 3.41 | 1.32 |
| The motor-vehicle accident rate regularly surges after the Super Bowl in the home state of the losing team | 2.15 | 1.26 | 3.15 | 1.06 |
| Bitcoin is used by the American Government as a way to keep track of online criminal activity | 2.18 | 1.41 | 3.03 | 0.99 |
| Wireless signals have a direct negative impact on plant growth | 2.22 | 1.28 | 2.15 | 1.20 |
| The “redhead gene” is becoming extinct | 2.42 | 1.45 | 3.60 | 1.02 |
| Drinking cold water can be bad for your health | 2.43 | 1.48 | 3.81 | 1.32 |
| Antibacterial mouthwash helps cure colds and sore throats | 2.47 | 1.41 | 2.75 | 1.21 |
| An at-home administration kit to screen for type-1 diabetes is currently being introduced | 2.48 | 1.33 | 2.52 | 1.09 |
| Hospitals are busier on full moons | 3.10 | 1.62 | 2.93 | 1.36 |
| St Bernard dogs once carried brandy barrels around their necks while rescuing people lost in the mountains | 3.43 | 1.63 | 2.29 | 1.01 |
| If you pluck a gray hair, more gray hairs will arrive in its place | 3.53 | 1.54 | 2.27 | 0.91 |
| Turkey meat makes you sleepy | 3.97 | 1.58 | 3.22 | 0.98 |
Note. aindicates claims used in Experiments 1–3