糾正人們的偏誤理念有時會導致人們更加認同該偏誤理念,即逆火效應。為了探索逆火效應的解釋警示對逆火效應的影響方式,該研究開展了一次有效參與者為565人的轉基因認知偏誤糾正實驗。實驗結果顯示:在健康營養的飲食自我概念較弱的參與者中,逆火效應的解釋警示減少了參與者閱讀糾正信息時的負面情緒,繼而減少了逆火效應;在健康營養的飲食自我概念較強的參與者中,逆火效應的解釋警示增加了參與者閱讀糾正信息時的負面情緒,繼而增加了逆火效應。另外,逆火效應的解釋警示通過降低參與者閱讀糾正信息時的枯燥單調情緒間接減少了逆火效應。根據實驗結果,論文提出:如果糾正信息對受眾的自我身份認同構成了較強的(或較弱的)威脅,逆火效應的解釋警示所蘊含的社會認同壓力會增加(或減少)受眾的負面情緒,從而增加(或減少)逆火效應。上述發現與觀點進一步拓展了逆火效應及其抑制理論,同時限定了認知偏誤的解釋警示的適用范圍。

Correcting people’s misconceptions may backfire,i. e.,the backfire effect. The present study conducted an experiment involving 565 participants to test how explaining and warning the backfire effect affects the backfire effect. Results of the experiment indicate that explaining and warning the backfire effect reduced participants’ negative emotions when they were studying a misconception correction of GMF( i. e.,Genetically modified food),thereby reducing the backfire effect,in the participants who less perceived that dietary health and nutrition are important aspects of their self-concept. However,explaining and warning the backfire effect also increased participants’ negative emotions when they were studying the misconception correction of GMF,thereby increasing the backfire effect,in the participants who more perceived that dietary health and nutrition are important aspects of their self-concept. Moreover,explaining and warning the backfire effect reduced participants’ dull and monotonous emotions when they were studying a misconception correction of GMF,thereby reducing the backfire effect. In light of the results,the present study suggests if a misconception correction is a stronger( or weaker) threat to audiences’ self-identity,a social identify evoked by explaining and warning the backfire effect will increase( or reduce) the audiences’ negative emotion,thereby increasing( or reducing) the backfire effect. These findings and suggestions expand the backfire effect theory,and inform an inapplicable condition for explaining and warning the cognitive biases.