Prior research has shown that psychological misconceptions have been particularly resistant to revision. In the current set of experiments, refutation texts were developed in the context of the Knowledge Revision Components framework (KReC; to assess whether they would be effective in promoting revision of psychology misconceptions. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that these refutation texts were sufficient to reduce disruption during reading caused by the misconception and produced short-term learning gains of reduction in misconception endorsement. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that a reduction in misconception endorsement produced by the refutation texts was maintained after a week delay. In Experiment 3, we used a 2-tiered posttest to rule out potential guessing effects and demonstrated the robustness of refutation texts in influencing knowledge revision. The findings across all 3 experiments provided evidence for both short and long-term knowledge revision in psychology after reading refutation texts.

The knowledge revision components framework (KReC) outlines the basic comprehension processes and text factors that can be accentuated to increase the potential for knowledge revision during reading. The goal of the present study was to explore source credibility as one such text factor. In Experiment 1, we established the utility of a set of refutation texts in influencing knowledge revision. Participants read ten refutation and ten control texts. The participants had faster reading times and higher posttest scores for the refutation than for the control texts, providing evidence for knowledge revision. In Experiment 2, we examined the influence of source credibility under normal reading conditions. Participants read 20 refutation texts, ten with high-credibility and ten with lowcredibility sources. The reading times and posttest scores suggested that knowledge revision unfolded successfully, independent of credibility. Using the same texts, in Experiment 3 we examined the influence of direct instructions that made the credibility of the source of information more salient. When the credibility of the source was made salient, the revision process was disrupted in the low-credibility condition, as evidenced by slower reading times and lower posttest scores than in the high-credibility condition. The results add to our understanding of the factors that constrain knowledge revision during the reading of refutation texts, and are discussed in the context of the extant literature and KReC.

Refutation-style texts have been considered a viable strategy for changing psychological misconceptions. The current study aims to integrate refutation-style texts into a classroom-based method of learning. Psychology students were administered a true/false misconception survey and then viewed several refutation-style poster presentations containing information describing a misconception as false. Posters were created with the intent to revise psychological misconceptions. After the poster presentations, participants took the same true/false posttest survey and then were asked to explain their answer choice. Participants took the posttest survey several days later to assess long-term retention. Results revealed that the refutation-style poster presentations were successful in revising knowledge for psychology misconceptions. The benefits of integrating refutation-based learning into classroom and laboratory studies are discussed.

The goal of the present study was to determine whether gender‐neutral language, used to replace male‐biased language, carries an implicit male bias. Participants read passages in which a target occupation was introduced using either male‐biased or gender‐neutral nouns. A target sentence followed defining the gender of the occupational character. In Experiment 1, participants read target sentences defining the character as a woman more slowly following passages that contained male‐biased nouns and gender‐neutral nouns. In Experiment 2, an additional sentence was added that defined the occupational character as a woman. This information eliminated the reading disruption in Experiment 1 demonstrating that gender‐neutral language can moderate against activation of gender stereotypes when combined with an explicit mention that the occupational character is female.

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