Communal reinforcement is the process by which a claim becomes a strong belief through repeated assertion by
members of a community. The process is independent of whether or not the claim has been properly researched or
is supported by empirical data significant enough to warrant belief by reasonable people.
Communal reinforcement accounts for the popularity of unsupported claims regarding repressed memory and
child abuse, which was discussed above. It accounts for such beliefs that children have memories that are
completely accurate, that children rarely says things that aren't true, that you can rid yourself of cancer by
visualization or humor, that Jews control all the power and money of the world, and so on.
Communal reinforcement explains how entire nations can believe in such things as witchcraft or demonic
possession. It also explains how testimonials reinforced by other testimonials within the community of therapists,
sociologists, psychologists, theologians, politicians, talk show aficionados, and so on, can be more powerful than
scientific studies or accurate gathering of data by unbiased parties.
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