Concept · Cognitive Bias: Informal fallacies of presumption

Proof by assertion (argumentum ad nauseam)

Origin: Traditional Latin rhetoric

Biological Parallel

Male túngara frogs repeat their mating calls thousands of times per night, not because repetition validates their genetic quality, but because it exploits female sensory biases. The call's frequency matches the peak sensitivity of female auditory systems—repetition increases detection probability, not truthfulness. In honest signaling systems, repetition carries costs that prove commitment. In manipulative systems, repetition is cheap propaganda. Biology distinguishes these through the handicap principle: if repeating a claim costs nothing, repetition proves nothing except the sender's persistence.