Refutational texts correct psychology myths, but the effects fade within six months.

People often believe psychological myths that are hard to unlearn. To fix this, researchers tested refutational texts, which are readings that directly state a common myth and explain why it is wrong. They wanted to know if these texts work long term, how summarizing them helps, and whether some myths are harder to shake than others. They focused on three widespread false beliefs about adolescence, educational videos, and learning styles. Students read refutational texts or read them and wrote a summary. Both methods helped students reject all three misconceptions better than reading nothing special, and writing a summary gave the strongest immediate boost. Six months later, the helpful effects had faded, but belief rejection stayed higher than baseline. Some false ideas proved much harder to change. The belief in learning styles was the most stubborn, showing that texts need repeating and tailoring.

Why it matters

This matters because educators and science communicators often rely on refutational texts to correct common myths. The study shows that a single intervention is not enough—effects weaken over six months, and some misconceptions, like learning styles, resist change. This means debunking efforts must be repeated and tailored to each myth to have lasting impact.

Questions answered