The authors, based in New Zealand and Canada, performed an "alive or dead" test, showing the names of minor celebrities and asking undergraduates whether the person was still alive. In half the cases, they also showed a photo of the person. When the photo was present, people were more likely to answer that the statement was true.
source : http://www.springerlink.com/content/98076v3163516k37/?MUD=MP; http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/08/pics-and-you-assume-it-did-happen/
