A Critical Review of the Refutation Text Literature: Reflections From a Failed Experiment

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: Refutation Texts

Abstract

Originating in ideas about conceptual change, the refutation text literature has continued to garner attention. Yet, the success of a refutation to change a learner’s mind on a topic or issue often needs to be qualified and modulated. In this review, attention is brought to three possible sources of constraints typically overlooked by refutation text researchers: problems of using a single text (or very few), unexplored assumptions about how conceptual change is measured, and concerns over what should be included in what makes a text refutational. Because issues associated with how people change their minds or resist messages that conflict with what they believe or know are especially relevant today, critically reviewing the refutation text literature seems particularly warranted.

Authors

• Allison Zengilowski, University of California - Davis

• Brendan A Schuetze, The University of Texas at Austin

• Brady L. Nash, The University of Texas

• Diane L. Schallert, The University of Texas at Austin