Movies enhance recall if facts are correct

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- People who see misinformation in historical films and then read accurate accounts are 50 percent more likely to recall the misinformation, U.S. researchers say.

Andrew Butler, a psychology doctoral student at Washington University in St. Louis, said students who learn history through watching blockbuster movies may be doomed to repeat history.

"We found that when information in the film was consistent with information in the text, watching the film clips increased correct recall by about 50 percent relative to reading the text alone," Butler said in a statement.

"In contrast, when information in the film directly contradicted the text, people often falsely recalled the misinformation portrayed in the film, sometimes as much as 50 percent of the time."

Popular historical films increase interest in history and contain a wealth of information, but often the films take liberties with facts to enhance the entertainment value, Butler said.

Teachers can still use historical films with inaccuracies if they deliver a specific warning about the particular inaccuracy before the film is shown, Butler advised.

The findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.