Across three experiments, we sought to determine the effects of positive and negative emotional content in refutation texts on correcting controversial misconceptions about vaccines. The addition of negative emotional content to texts that identify, refute and explain vaccine misconceptions improved knowledge revision observed during reading (Experiment 1). However, the addition of positive
... [Show full abstract] emotional content to refutation texts weakened this effect (Experiment 2). A direct comparison between negative and positive emotional content provided corroborating evidence for these findings (Experiment 3). Across experiments, results show that all refutation texts (with or without positive or negative emotional content) improved learning assessed after reading. These findings show the differential effects of emotional content on revising misconceptions about a controversial topic and provide consistent support for refutation texts as an effective tool in these corrective efforts.