Epistemic Emotions Research Articles

The magic, memory, and curiosity fMRI dataset of people viewing magic tricks

Videos of magic tricks offer lots of opportunities to study the human mind. They violate the expectations of the viewer, causing prediction errors, misdirect attention, and elicit epistemic emotions. Herein we describe and share the Magic, Memory, and Curiosity (MMC) Dataset where 50 participants watched 36 magic tricks filmed and edited specifically for functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) experiments. The MMC Dataset includes a contextual incentive manipulation, curiosity ratings for the magic tricks, and incidental memory performance tested a week later. We additionally measured individual differences in working memory and constructs relevant to motivated learning. fMRI data were acquired before, during, and after learning. We show that both behavioural and fMRI data are of high quality, as indicated by basic validation analysis, i.e., variance decomposition as well as intersubject correlation and seed-based functional connectivity, respectively. The richness and complexity of the MMC Dataset will allow researchers to explore dynamic cognitive and motivational processes from various angles during task and rest.

Second language learners’ academic emotions in grammar learning with explicit attention to grammatical complexity

ABSTRACT Grammatical complexity, a hot topic in grammar research, poses great challenges for second language (L2) learners. This study aims to investigate L2 learners’ emotional reactions to L2 grammar learning, and the epistemic emotional sources related to grammatical complexity. Thirty sophomore English majors aged between 19 and 20 from a natural class were recruited in the present study. Through qualitative research design, the data consisted of 30 written narrative reflections with each containing a self-report on emotional experiences and a recalled summary of learning strategies, along with 10 semi-structured interviews. A deductive content analysis approach and thematic analysis were used for the data analysis. The present study revealed five main findings. First, delight and anxiety are saliently representative achievement-related activity emotions; second, disappointment represents the typical retrospective outcome emotion; third, hope is the typical prospective outcome emotion; fourth, the social aspects of the present context elicit the emotion of gratitude, whereas the cognitive aspects of grammatical complexity cause a more complicated emotional state; fifth, epistemic emotions are mainly evoked by thinking-related factors, syntactic rules, and the practical application of syntactic rules. Pedagogical implications for L2 grammar teaching were discussed.

Exploring farmers attitudes towards genetically modified crops in northwest Bangladesh on the ground of epistemic emotions and cognitions

All GM crops fall into either the herbicide-tolerant (HT) or insect-resistant (IR) category. These crops play a crucial role in feeding the global population and ensuring food security for a larger number of population. However, the extent to which current assessments of supply-side effects inform food policy and cultivation decisions remains unclear. To advance knowledge in this area, it is essential to address existing evidence gaps and methodological design issues, which will influence the direction of future research. This study focuses on epistemological preferences among farmers in nortwest Bangladesh, aiming to modestly guide some direction for GM crops cultivation. The findings from the study reveal three distinct attitudinal discourses among investigated farmers. Some farmers are inclined to be positive toward the cultivation of GM crops, expecting benefits. Another group is more cautious, wary of the potential risks associated with GM crops but still likely to be reluctant adopters. A third group demonstrates a somewhat fatalistic perspective toward adopting GM crop cultivation, as revealed through the use of Q methodology. These findings contribute significantly to the ongoing GM debate by elaborating on the views of farmers from these three distinct groups and informing the design of policies related to GM crops.

Epistemic emotions and self-trust

AbstractEpistemic emotions – namely affective phenomena like curiosity, certainty, and doubt – have been claimed to play a key role in epistemic evaluation and motivation, and, relatedly, to be an integral aspect of the epistemic virtues. In this paper I argue that the experience of epistemic emotions is extensively shaped by self-trust. More specifically, I claim that the set of epistemic emotions that we can undergo, and how these unfold over time, is modulated by the level of trust in one’s abilities as a knower. I do so by drawing on research on epistemic injustice, as well as through the exploration of some features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. I then argue that the connection between epistemic emotions and self-trust can be best accounted for by conceiving of self-trust, through the framework of philosophical phenomenology, as an affective background orientation which has a structuring role in our cognitive and affective experience.

Epistemic emotions and pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching

Affective and cognitive processes may be jointly researched to better understand mathematics learning, paying special interest to emotions related to knowledge acquisition. However, it remains necessary to explore these processes in studies linked to the education of pre-service mathematics teachers. This study aims to characterize epistemic emotions in different practices linked to the practice of mathematics teaching: problem-solving, anticipating what would happen with the students and reflecting on classroom implementation. It considers the theory of Mathematical Working Spaces to describe the mathematical and cognitive dimensions generated by epistemic emotions, paying special attention to the cognition-affect interaction and the workspace created. The results indicate that the epistemic emotions of the pre-service mathematics teachers associated with the distinct practices were different. Differences are observed in the interaction between emotions and cognitive epistemic actions, depending on whether the pre-service mathematics teachers analyze them within the framework of their own solving or anticipate them in their students. This reveals how personal work relates to what is considered to be suitable for students. Specifically, certain antecedents and consequences have been specified for the emotions of surprise and boredom in relation to the characteristics of the optimization problems and the cognitive activity of the subject when solving them. These results highlight the need to enhance the education of pre-service mathematics teachers through training that helps regulate their epistemic emotions and model effective strategies for regulating their own emotions and those of their students.

Exploring the relationships among college students’ epistemic beliefs, epistemic emotions, and use of problem-solving strategies in engineering design contexts

Epistemic beliefs and emotions can exert a profound effect on individuals' academic motivation and achievement. This study presents a plausible model to explore the relationships among engineering students' epistemic beliefs, epistemic emotions, and their use of problem-solving strategies within project design contexts. Findings from path analysis indicate that students who believe design-related engineering knowledge should be justified in multiple ways demonstrate a higher level of positive epistemic emotions. Those who believe foundational engineering knowledge is uncertain and evolving show a lower level of boredom when confronted with design problems. Students experiencing positive epistemic emotions tend to use more problem-solving strategies in their design projects, leading to higher achievement in the design course. Those grappling with boredom tend to use fewer problem-solving strategies, resulting in lower achievement in the design course. Connections between epistemic cognition research and instructional practices in engineering education are discussed.

Storifying instructional videos on online credibility evaluation: Examining engagement and learning

This study used video-based instruction to promote adolescents' online credibility evaluation skills and to examine whether storification of instructional videos can maintain students' situational interest and positive activating epistemic emotions during a four-lesson intervention better than non-storified instructional videos. The study also investigated whether storified instruction can enhance students' learning of online credibility evaluation skills better than non-storified instruction. The learning content of the videos was equivalent, differing only in terms of storification. Students participated in either a non-storified (n = 135) or storified (n = 115) video-based instruction (4 x 45-min lesson). In each of the first three lessons, students watched an instructional video explaining one credibility evaluation strategy. In the fourth lesson, the video introduced a case requiring students to apply the taught strategies. After watching the video, students' situational interest and positive activating epistemic emotions (i.e., curiosity and excitement) were measured. Then, students practiced the taught strategies with learning tasks. Students' credibility evaluation skills were measured before and after the intervention with an online credibility evaluation task. The latent growth curve model showed that non-storified and storified videos similarly maintained students' situational interest. No decline was observed. However, a small decline in positive activating epistemic emotions was observed in both instructional conditions. Students' credibility evaluation skills improved equally across instructions. The results underline that professionally produced videos following several multimedia design principles can trigger and maintain situational interest and enhance students’ online credibility evaluation skills without the need to incorporate additional storified elements.

The Role of Epistemic Emotions and Activities in Creative Action: A Metacognitive and Self‐Regulatory Approach

The Role of Epistemic Emotions and Activities in Creative Action: A Metacognitive and Self‐Regulatory Approach

Do the Type of the Learning Material and Prior Knowledge Impact Students’ Success in Learning and Their Epistemic Emotions?

Do the Type of the Learning Material and Prior Knowledge Impact Students’ Success in Learning and Their Epistemic Emotions?

Supporting Students’ Feelings About Learning: Attending to Negative Epistemic Emotions

Epistemic emotions are emotions that arise as students process the alignment or misalignment between new information and their existing knowledge or beliefs, or when they are engaged in learning tasks. Understanding how and why epistemic emotions are distinct from other types of affective experiences is important, because students cognitive and behavioral responses to these emotions strongly influence their engagement with those learning tasks and, subsequently, their achievement. In this article, we focus on two epistemic emotions that might be particularly powerful for students with learning disabilities: boredom and frustration. We explore how students with disabilities may experience these feelings in the classroom, and offer strategies that teachers can use to address these feelings.

Supporting secondary students’ climate change learning and motivation using novel data and data visualizations

National science standards at the secondary level currently recommend that students make sense of data constituting evidence of human-induced climate change; yet, secondary students continue to hold serious misconceptions about the topic. Thus, there is a need to create learning contexts that support climate change understanding, motivation, and data literacy for secondary students. The purpose of this preregistered study was to test an online intervention that presents novel climate change data and uses number-line data visualizations to support climate-change learning and motivation for secondary students. To this end, I conducted an experimental online study with 248 secondary students randomly assigned to either engage with the intervention, the intervention supplemented with number-line visualization feedback, or a control group. Findings revealed that the game conditions improved climate change knowledge and situated interest compared with the control, and knowledge effects were stronger among learners who expressed more openness to reason with belief-discrepant evidence. There were no significant effects of supplementing the game with number line feedback. Exploratory path analyses revealed that there were also indirect effects of the intervention on climate change learning, plausibility, and climate efficacy through epistemic emotions and motivation. Namely, the intervention was linked to these outcomes by decreasing boredom which predicted utility value and science interest. The study contributes to conversations around the role of data-literacy in supporting motivation for science learning and showcases an intervention that can be easily shared online.

Exploring the impact of awe on the multifaceted construct of empathy.

Empathy helps us navigate social interactions and promotes prosocial behaviors like caregiving and helping. Here, we explored whether awe, a key self-transcendent and epistemic emotion, could encourage greater empathy across seven diverse student and community samples collected between 2020 and 2022. Empathy is a multifaceted construct; thus, we assessed performance on a range of empathy measures including perspective taking accuracy (Study 2), empathic accuracy (Study 3; preregistered), emotion contagion and compassion (Study 4). We also directly tested whether awe motivated people to empathize with others (Study 5; preregistered). Although dispositional awe was positively correlated with trait measures of empathy (Study 1), experimental inductions of awe did not improve performance on empathy measures or motivate people to empathize, compared to a control (Studies 2-5). However, a moderation effect emerged in which awe had divergent effects on empathy depending on participants' self-reported dispositional levels of cognitive empathy. Although effects only reached significance in two studies (Studies 3; preregistered and 4), an internal meta-analysis revealed that awe improved empathy for those high in dispositional cognitive empathy, while marginally reducing it among those low in dispositional cognitive empathy, compared to a control. These results suggest that awe may have polarizing effects on empathy depending on one's dispositional level of cognitive empathy and reveal a potentially important role of cognitive processes in linking awe and empathy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Shared and unique features of epistemic emotions: Awe, surprise, curiosity, interest, confusion, and boredom.

Epistemic emotions are hardly ever studied together, making it difficult to predict what features are shared versus unique to each emotion. To address this, we conducted two autobiographical recall experiments. We compared awe, surprise, curiosity, interest, confusion, and boredom in terms of elicitors, subjective experience components, and action tendencies. Ratings were analyzed using network analyses, to describe the central features for the whole group of epistemic emotions. In addition, ratings were compared per emotion, to identify key features for each individual emotion. Results showed that valence, arousal, coping potential, and avoidance are central features of all epistemic emotions. Awe, surprise, and interest were relatively positive emotions, which together with curiosity, were associated with arousal, high coping potential, and approach. Confusion and boredom were relatively negative emotions, which were associated with low arousal, low coping potential, and avoidance. Further analyses revealed unique features of (groups of) emotions. For example, awe was associated with exceeded expectancies, while surprise was associated with both exceeded and disconfirmed expectancies. Moreover, curiosity and confusion were associated with having (too) little information, while awe and interest were associated with having sufficient information. All emotions except boredom were associated with exploration, but this was particularly high for curiosity and interest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Seeing the impossible: the impact of watching magic on positive emotions, optimism, and wellbeing.

Watching a magic trick is a unique experience in which seemingly impossible events appear possible but without any suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, relatively little work has examined the psychological impact of this fascinating experience. In the current study, participants first completed a measure of the degree to which they disliked magic (Loathing of Legerdemain Scale: LOLS) and then watched a video that either contained a series of magic tricks (magic video) or carefully matched non-magic tricks (control video). Participants then rated the degree to which they experienced positive epistemic emotions (Epistemically Related Emotion Scale: ERES), their belief about impossible events being possible in the future (Modal Judgment Task: MJT), general optimism (State Optimism Measure: SOM) and subjective wellbeing (Satisfaction With Life Scale: SWLS). Compared to participants who watched the control video, those who saw the magic video reported more positive epistemic emotions on the ERES. There were no significant differences on the MJT, SOM and SWLS. Participants' LOLS scores were negatively correlated with the ERES, SOM and SWLS, suggesting that those who like magic are more likely to experience positive epistemic emotions, have higher levels of general optimism, and express greater satisfaction with their lives. These findings are discussed within the context of short-term and long-term exposure to magic, along with recommendations for future work.

Reading Medium and Epistemic Emotions in the Continued Influence Effect of Misinformation

It is well known that misinformation’s effects on memory linger, referred to as the continued influence effect, even after reading corrections. However, it is uncertain how the reading medium and epistemic emotions (relevant to knowledge construction) relate to the continued influence effect. In this study, college students (N = 84) read about fictional news events, each with the first article stating misinformation and the second providing corrected updated information and then indicated their emotions experienced. This was a within-subjects experiment in that two events were read on paper and two on screen to compare effects of reading medium. There were no reliable differences in the continued misinformation effect by reading medium. However, the associations between epistemic emotions and misinformation ratings appeared to be more robust when reading from paper than screens. There were no reliable differences in epistemic emotions experienced by reading medium. The findings indicate that reading news online does not appear to relate to susceptibility of misinformation.

Investigating trees as an interdisciplinary phenomenon in climate regulation: an intervention study on iSTEM education and scientific literacy in secondary schools

ABSTRACT Climate change and CO2-emissions are key-issues of the 21st century. As a complex interdisciplinary phenomenon, educational systems appear to be forced to expand their curricula beyond disciplines or school subjects. Thus, cross-disciplinary concepts in science, such as iSTEM (integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) address this demand. Also, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stresses the need for interdisciplinarity in compulsory education. The present intervention study ‘CO2BS - Coole Bäume und Sensoren [Cool(ing) Trees and Sensors]’ focuses on the tree as a key-factor in the understanding of gas-exchange for which a proper scientific understanding demands thinking across disciplines. In accordance with a OECD competence framework, Scientific Literacy, the intervention aimed to foster secondary school students’ interdisciplinary conceptual knowledge (ICK) of how a tree’s exchange of O2 and CO2 can be investigated scientifically. Students’ changes in self-concept in science as well as their interest in climate and science along with epistemic emotions associated with scientific procedures were also investigated. The results showed positive changes in students’ self-concept and epistemic emotions. Though ICK increased significantly too, the results indicate that future interventions will need to focus more on how to establish interdisciplinarity within secondary education more effectively.

Cognitive Conflict as an Underlying Mechanism in the Arousal of Epistemic Emotions

Abstract The present study aimed to test the assumption that cognitive conflict constitutes part of the mechanism underlying the arousal of epistemic emotions. Specifically, the study investigated potential activation of epistemic emotions (surprise, confusion, curiosity, and wonder) due to cognitive conflict. One hundred fifty-two undergraduate students participated in the study. The tasks were 12 decision-making scenarios depicting dilemmas faced by autonomous (self-driving) cars, such as crossing over or avoiding an obstacle, that may have implications for pedestrians crossing a road. The tasks differed in the implications of the conflicting alternatives. Participants were asked to choose 1 of 2 response options in each scenario and then report, on a 4-point Likert-type scale, their feelings of difficulty and confidence regarding their response and their epistemic emotions. Scenarios posing high cognitive conflict resulted in increased levels of epistemic emotions compared with easily resolved conflicting scenarios. However, the various epistemic emotions followed different patterns of arousal, with confusion being the most affected emotion and surprise being the least affected one.

Lost in wonder: a response to Schinkel’s ‘deep’ wonder in education

Abstract In this paper, I aim to clarify the role of ‘wonder’ in education. Most of us who work in education want to provide valuable experiences for our students, and we want them to be driven by intrinsic values such as truth and recognition of the dignity of human existence. However, whilst I echo many of the sentiments espoused by advocates of the utility and ethical significance of wonder, I contend that some recent developments—and in particular, Schinkel’s argument that ‘deep’ (‘contemplative’ or ‘cosmic’) wonder has a ‘fundamental’ role in education—are misconceived. This is, I argue, because any concept deployable within educational spaces (whether formal or informal) must pay due regard to the conceptual constraints of the concept of ‘education’; that is, attention must be paid to the role of ‘learning’. Schinkel’s proposals are, I suggest, vulnerable to a critique of sentimentalism and excessive romanticism. As such, they offer little in terms of practical import for educators. As I will propose, if we are to take ‘wonder’ seriously in educational contexts, we must pay attention to the purpose of wonder as an epistemic emotion; namely, aiming for knowledge and understanding, and getting there requires sensitivity to practical know-how and conceptual competence.

The effect of epistemic beliefs and emotions on students' attitudes toward genetically modified foods

AbstractA large body of research literature has explored socio‐scientific issues (SSIs) in science teaching and learning, documenting the impact of epistemic beliefs on epistemic emotion, which influences student's reactions to complex scientific topics. Often, students' reactions reflect scientific misconceptions, the correction of which may result in emotional and attitudinal changes. However, research has not fully explored the impact of students' epistemic beliefs on emotions and attitudes toward genetically modified foods (GMFs). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of students' epistemic beliefs on epistemic emotions and attitudes toward GMFs. A quantitative correlational research design was utilized with 78 students at a large private university in the Mid‐Atlantic United States. Participants' epistemic beliefs were assessed prior to reading a refutation text and a persuasive text about GMFs. Afterward, they completed questionnaires about epistemic emotions and attitudes toward GMFs. Results indicated that no statistically significant predictive relationship exists between the participants' epistemic beliefs and emotions or between epistemic beliefs and attitudes toward GMFs. However, a statistically significant predictive relationship was demonstrated between negative epistemic emotions and negative attitudes toward GMFs. The scholarly contributions and practical implications of these findings are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Students’ epistemic emotions in a science classroom: their variations and interactions with practices in structured inquiry

ABSTRACT Using a qualitative case study method, we examined how students talked, acted, and felt in structured inquiry in attempt to understand how students’ epistemic emotions interact with their engagement in practices. Participants were four 5th graders, and data included audio recordings of the students’ talk in structured inquiry for learning a biology-related unit, the teacher's field notes, and interviews with the students. The data were analysed qualitatively with foci placed on the variations in the students’ epistemic emotions and their interactions with practices. It was revealed that the students felt a variety of positive and negative epistemic emotions and shaped their practices in response to these emotions. More specifically, the students’ epistemic curiosity and joy facilitated their continuous focus on inquiry tasks and taking a positive attitude towards inquiry. In addition, epistemic confusion and anxiety helped students felt helped them find alternative ways to perform their inquiry and prepare a better presentation of their learning. It was concluded that epistemic emotions and practices interacted with each other to shape students’ words and behaviours as they learned science. Additionally, it was also suggested that epistemic emotions can positively contribute to the development of students’ conceptual understanding of science.