Contested facts · veracity-3pt · fact-serotonin-depression-01

Claim: Depression is primarily caused by a chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain.

0.33

Divergence

0.87

Avg stability

Refusal rate

Models

Where each model stands

CCG

refutedcontestedsupported

ChatGPT modal refuted [refuted, refuted, refuted, refuted, refuted] · stability 1.00

1 refuted 0.95 'Short answer: False as stated. The idea that depression is "primarily caused by a chemical imbalance of serotonin" is an oversimplification and is not supported by the totality of modern evidence.'
2 refuted 0.90 The answer states the claim is "overly simplistic and misleading" and explicitly says "current evidence does not support a single-cause serotonin‑deficiency explanation," arguing depression is multifactorial.
3 refuted 0.98 "Short answer: No — that claim is an oversimplification and not supported by current evidence." and "Systematic reviews... found no clear evidence that low serotonin... reliably cause depression.", which directly rejects the claim.
4 refuted 0.95 The answer states the serotonin-deficit theory "is not supported by current evidence" and calls the claim an "oversimplification" and "not supported by current scientific consensus.", which directly refutes the claim.
5 refuted 0.90 The answer states: “No — the claim is an oversimplification. Serotonin is involved, but depression is not primarily or solely caused by a simple ‘chemical imbalance’ of serotonin,” and explains mixed evidence against a simple serotonin-deficit cause.

Claude modal contested [contested, refuted, contested, contested, refuted] · stability 0.60

1 contested 0.92 The answer explicitly states the claim is 'partially true but incomplete—a common oversimplification' and presents evidence both supporting serotonin's involvement and refuting the claim's exclusivity. It contends that while serotonin dysfunction plays a role, depression is multifactorial involving dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate, inflammation, genetics, trauma, stress, and social factors—unde
2 refuted 0.92 The answer directly contradicts the claim by stating 'A 2022 meta-analysis found no consistent evidence that depression involves abnormally low serotonin' and emphasizes that the serotonin theory is 'incomplete' and an 'oversimplification.' It explains that depression is 'multifactorial' with multiple causes rather than primarily caused by serotonin imbalance.
3 contested 0.92 The answer states the claim is 'partially true but significantly oversimplified' and explains that while serotonin dysregulation is involved for some people, the 'primarily caused by' framing 'overstates serotonin's role' and the 'chemical imbalance' concept is 'now considered reductive by many neuroscientists.' Depression is characterized as multifactorial with multiple contributing causes beyond
4 contested 0.92 The answer states the claim is 'partially true but oversimplified' and that while serotonin dysfunction is involved, the statement 'primarily caused' overstates serotonin's role. The answer supports some aspects of the claim but refutes others, indicating a contested stance rather than full support or refutation.
5 refuted 0.92 The answer directly refutes the claim, stating it is 'significantly oversimplified' and that 'the evidence doesn't support this.' It argues that depression involves 'multiple neurochemical systems (not just serotonin)' and multiple other factors, emphasizing that serotonin 'may be involved...for some people, sometimes—but it's one piece of a complex puzzle, not "the" cause.'

Gemini modal refuted [refuted, refuted, refuted, refuted, refuted] · stability 1.00

1 refuted 0.98 The answer states that the claim is 'unsupported by current scientific and medical consensus' and notes that 'decades of research have failed to validate the idea that low serotonin causes depression.'
2 refuted 1.00 The response explicitly rates the claim as 'Inaccurate / Vastly Oversimplified' and explains that 'The claim that depression is primarily caused by a "chemical imbalance"—specifically a deficit of serotonin in the brain—is not supported by modern neuroscience or psychiatry.'
3 refuted 1.00 The answer directly refutes the claim with 'Verdict: False / Scientifically Outdated' and explains that 'there is no consistent evidence showing an association between low serotonin levels... and depression.'
4 refuted 1.00 The answer directly refutes the claim, stating that 'The claim that depression is primarily caused by a "chemical imbalance" of serotonin is scientifically inaccurate and outdated.'
5 refuted 1.00 The answer directly rates the claim as 'False / Scientifically Unsupported' and states it is an 'outdated theory that has been largely debunked by modern neuroscience and psychiatry.'

Change over time

No change from the prior run — every model's modal stance held.

Every stance label is a derived judgment over the model's free-text answer, kept auditable against the original transcript in the run's raw data. Method: /methodology.