Revision Failures: Integrating Cognitive and Motivational Theories

• In Event: Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Students' Learning Strategies and Interventions

Abstract

Efforts to correct misinformation sometime fail. The current proposal reviews research on specific aspects of the phenomenon of knowledge revision failure to inform theory and practice. The review highlighted that individuals’ motivation to protect a coherent and worthy sense of self-identity may explain why revision failure occurs. The review also identified cognitive mechanisms and related processes that explain how this phenomenon occurs: (a) negative validation processes, (b) inhibition failure, (c) violated standards of coherence and dysfluency, (d) distrust and negation, (e) threat appraisal and negative emotions, and (f) motivated reasoning. We conclude with proposals for theoretical extensions, including the controlling role of identity in knowledge revision, and proposals for several instructional interventions.

Authors

• Greg Trevors, University of South Carolina

• Panayiota Kendeou, University of Minnesota