Editing Communal reinforcement (section)

{{short description|Social phenomenon}}
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'''Communal reinforcement''' is a [[Socialization|social phenomenon]] in which a concept or idea is repeatedly asserted in a [[community]], regardless of whether sufficient [[empirical evidence]] has been presented to support it.<ref>{{Google books |id=6FPqDFx40vYC |page=80 |title=The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions }}</ref> Over time, the concept or idea is reinforced to become a strong [[belief]] in many people's minds, and may be regarded by the members of the community as fact. Often, the concept or idea may be further reinforced by publications in the [[mass media]], [[literature|books]], or other means of communication.  The phrase "millions of people can't all be wrong" is indicative of the common tendency to accept a communally reinforced idea without question, which often aids in the widespread acceptance of [[factoids]]. A very similar term to this term is '''community-reinforcement''', which is a [[behavioral]] method to stop drug addiction.<ref>{{Google books |id=yhWB-JOQMUgC |page=149 |title=Introduction to Addictive Behaviors }}</ref>