Competing for Trust: How Initiative and Repetition of Exposure Influence Information Credibility

ABSTRACT Modern democracy often requires citizens to engage in policy debates demanding multidisciplinary knowledge. This can lead to a cognitive gap that urges citizens to seek information for decision‐making on unfamiliar policy issues. The credibility of this information is crucial, as it shapes individual perceptions and attitudes, which aggregate as public opinions. To deepen the understanding of information credibility, this study proposes an experiment leveraging theories of the continued influence effect and the illusory truth effect to answer how initiative and repetition of exposure influence the evaluation of information credibility. 1,400 participants will be recruited and requested to rate the credibility of opposing arguments regarding a fictitious referendum provided with varying orders and numbers. The result is expected to show a positive causality between exposure initiative, information repetition, and information credibility. The findings will aid in promoting well‐informed democratic deliberation in an era of political polarization.