The role of domain-related epistemic beliefs for mastering cognitive requirements in multiple document comprehension

Abstract

Multiple document comprehension (MDC) refers to the ability to integrate information from multiple sources into a coherent representation, which requires specific cognitive processes. Assuming that epistemic beliefs are domain-related, this study investigates exploratively how epistemic beliefs in the domains of science and history affect the mastery of cognitive requirements in domain-general MDC (e.g. the comparison of source information). 156 university students reported their epistemic beliefs in physics or history and completed a computer-based test measuring their MDC. The results showed that MDC was significantly predicted by the epistemic beliefs dimension of personal justification in physics. A conservative approach revealed no interaction effects between epistemic beliefs and the mastery of specific cognitive requirements but results of a liberal approach hinted at associations with epistemic beliefs in physics rather than history. The results are discussed with respect to the nature of epistemic beliefs and theoretical assumptions regarding their relations to MDC requirements.