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

1.00

Avg stability

Refusal rate

Models

Where each model stands

CCG

refutedcontestedsupported

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

1 refuted 0.95 The answer states: “Depression is not primarily or solely caused by a simple ‘serotonin chemical imbalance’,” and explains research has not shown a consistent low‑serotonin signature and that depression is multifactorial.
2 refuted 0.95 "No — that claim is an oversimplification and is not supported as a complete explanation." The answer rejects the serotonin-deficit explanation and cites reviews finding no consistent evidence.
3 refuted 0.92 The answer states: 'No — that statement is an oversimplification. The idea that depression is “primarily caused by a serotonin chemical imbalance” is outdated and misleading,' and notes 'evidence for “low serotonin” is weak and inconsistent.'

Claude modal contested [contested, contested, contested] · stability 1.00

1 contested 0.92 The answer states the claim is 'partially true but significantly oversimplified' and that while serotonin plays a role, 'framing depression as just a chemical imbalance misrepresents current neuroscience.' It acknowledges evidence supporting serotonin involvement but identifies major problems with the claim as stated, presenting it as incomplete rather than entirely wrong or entirely correct.
2 contested 0.95 The answer states the claim is 'a popular but oversimplified view' and that the 'chemical imbalance' explanation is 'incomplete and somewhat misleading' by modern neuroscience standards. It acknowledges serotonin plays a role but emphasizes many other factors (genetics, psychology, social factors, brain structure, other neurotransmitters) are equally or more important. This represents a direct con
3 contested 0.95 The answer states the claim is 'partially true but significantly oversimplified' and explains that while serotonin dysfunction is involved in depression, it is not the 'primary' cause. The answer contests the framing by arguing depression has multiple causes and that 'the serotonin theory was useful for developing treatments, but current science points toward depression being more heterogeneous th

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

1 refuted 1.00 The answer labels the claim as 'outdated and scientifically inaccurate' and explicitly states that 'depression is not primarily caused by a serotonin deficiency.'
2 refuted 1.00 The answer directly refutes the claim, stating, 'The claim is scientifically inaccurate and considered outdated by modern neuroscience and psychiatry.'
3 refuted 1.00 The answer directly labels the claim as 'Scientifically inaccurate and outdated' and states that 'contemporary neuroscience and psychiatry have largely rejected it as an explanation for the primary cause of depression.'

Change over time

Moved since the prior run (canon-2026-W36). Claude: refuted → contested.

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.