The Effects of Emotional Content on Knowledge Revision: An Eye-Tracking Study

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: New Directions in Literacy Research

Abstract

We examined the effects of emotional content on the processes and outcomes of knowledge revision using eye-tracking. Three text conditions were developed and compared: refutation texts with positive emotions; refutation texts with negative emotions; and non-refutation controls. Participants also completed a pre- and a post-test assessing the targeted misconceptions. The findings showed that refutation texts with negative emotion content led to narrowed attention, which manifested as increased fixation times and post-test performance compared to refutation texts with positive emotion content and non-refutation texts.

Authors

• Jasmine Kim, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Reese Butterfuss, Arizona State University

• Nikita Salovich, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Greg Trevors, University of South Carolina

• Panayiota Kendeou, University of Minnesota