Reducing Interference From Misconceptions: The Role of Inhibition

• In Event: 53.082 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: 53.082-2 - Poster Session 4: Cognitive and Motivational Processes

Abstract

Misconceptions are difficult to revise. One ability that may play a role in knowledge revision is the inhibition of dominant responses. The present study explored whether individual differences in inhibition were related to knowledge revision processes and products. Participants read 10 refutation texts that addressed common misconceptions and 10 non-refutation texts. Reading times and post-test questions assessed knowledge revision. Stroop Task performance divided participants into high, medium, and low-inhibition groups. Reading times indicated that inhibition plays a role during reading when misconceptions are not refuted or explained. Specifically, medium-inhibition readers read target sentences in the non-refutation texts faster than low-inhibition readers. High-inhibition readers read the slowest. Results are discussed in the context of the Knowledge Revision Components (KReC) Framework.

Authors

• Reese Butterfuss, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Panayiota Kendeou, University of Minnesota