The Influence of Epistemic Beliefs on Reading Processes Based on Eye Tracking Data

• In Event: 73.062 - Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: 73.062-2 - Motivational and Cognitive Processes: Language, Literacy, Communication, and Reasoning

Abstract

This study follows up on previous research (2014, In Press) that demonstrated a selective recall effect via two purported epistemic belief systems called mechanism and organicism. More generally, these studies demonstrated a link between epistemic cognition and basic cognitive processing, but they provided little empirical evidence regarding how it occurs. Therefore, this study investigates how students’ attention is influenced by preference for mechanism or organicism using an eye tracking methodology. After determining their epistemic belief preference 102 University students were asked to read a text about golf using a Tobii T60 eye tracker. Data revealed a significant interaction between how long a participant reads portions of the text and their preference for mechanism or organicism.

Authors

• Benjamin Robert Forsyth, University of Northern Iowa

• Judson Kuffel, University of Northern Iowa

• Kelsey Hunerdosse, University of Northern Iowa

• Christina Nolte