Negative Emotions With Positive Outcomes: Epistemic Emotions in Everyday Cognitive Problem Solving

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Learning and Motivation in Education

Abstract

The newly introduced concept of epistemic emotions links surprise, curiosity, confusion, anxiety, enjoyment/delight, and frustration to knowledge-generating processes (Pekrun & Stephens, in press; also see d’Mello & Graesser, 2011). To explore epistemic emotions, we conducted a diary study over a period of three months. In a total of 173 diaries, 28 students reported about their emotions during daily problem solving processes. Correlation analyses revealed that knowledge-generating activities used as cognitive problem solving strategies were associated with the proposed epistemic emotions. In line with expectations, the findings corroborate that not only neutral and positive emotions (e.g., surprise), but also negative emotions (e.g., confusion, anxiety) are associated with cognitive problem solving behaviors.

Authors

• Elisabeth Meier, University of Munich

• Julia Sophie Cada, University of Munich

• Reinhard Pekrun, University of Essex