Knowledge Revision in the Context of Social Media

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

Abstract

Information on social media varies in factors credibility, justification, and accuracy. Consequently, the information that users access is likely to strengthen pre-existing misconceptions. Researchers have identified refutation texts, which state and refute misconceptions, as a means of facilitating knowledge revision. In this study, participants completed a misconception pretest and saw refutations/explanations of vaccine-related misconceptions embedded in Facebook conversations, which varied in source credibility (high vs. low) and justification (personal opinion vs. multiple sources vs. authority). Next, they completed an argumentative essay and post-test. Essay results showed that participants’ essays were more semantically similar to texts in the low-credibility condition, regardless of justification; post-test results showed revision of vaccine misconceptions.

Authors

• Reese Butterfuss, Arizona State University

• Joseph Aubele, University of Minnesota

• Sonia Zaccoletti, Università degli Studi di Padova

• Giovanna Morara, University of Padova

• Lucia Mason, University of Padua

• Panayiota Kendeou, University of Minnesota