Epistemic Emotions and Epistemic Cognition Predict Critical Thinking About Socio-Scientific Issues

Abstract

When thinking critically about socio-scientific issues, individuals’ expectations about the nature of knowledge and knowing, as well as their emotions when these expectations are met or not, may play an important role in critical thinking. In this study, we examined the role of epistemic emotions in mediating the effects of epistemic cognition on critical thinking when contending with conflicting information about genetically modified foods. Two hundred four university students completed a prior knowledge test on genetically modified foods, and then reported their epistemic beliefs about genetically modified foods. Participants then read a text that presented advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified foods, and reported the epistemic emotions they experienced during reading of that text. Participants then composed an argumentative essay about genetically modified foods, which were coded for critical thinking. Results from path analysis revealed that a belief in complex knowledge predicted less surprise and confusion, but more enjoyment. For the source of knowledge, a belief in the active construction of knowledge predicted less surprise and enjoyment. For justification for knowing, a belief that knowledge should be critically evaluated positively predicted curiosity, and negatively predicted confusion and boredom. Moreover, beliefs that knowledge about genetically modified foods is complex and uncertain positively predicted critical thinking. Confusion and anxiety also positively predicted critical thinking, whereas frustration negatively predicted critical thinking. Lastly, confusion mediated relations between epistemic beliefs and critical thinking. Results suggest complex relations between epistemic cognition, epistemic emotions, and critical thinking that have implications for educational practice as well as for future research on epistemic cognition and epistemic emotions.

Cognitive and Affective Factors in Relation to Learning

“…Also, a number of other studies have indicated this relation between epistemic emotions, learning strategies and performance described in the Muis et al (2015) model. First, positive activating emotions of enjoyment Obergriesser and Stoeger, 2020;Camacho-Morles et al, 2021;Putwain et al, 2021) and curiosity (Gruber et al, 2014;Wade and Kidd, 2019), in addition to surprise (Chiu et al, 2014;Muis et al, 2018) and confusion (D'Mello et al, 2014;Muis et al, 2018), are related to positive learning outcomes through deep-processing learning strategies, such as elaboration and critical thinking (Muis et al, 2015(Muis et al, , 2021. Also, surprise can have an indirect effect on learning strategies by inducing curiosity and confusion (Vogl et al, 2019).…”

“…Recently, the role of emotions in educational contexts has received increasing interest (e.g., Pekrun et al, 2018). Especially, the entanglement between affect and cognition has been acknowledged (Muis et al, 2021), and the relation between emotions and learning or academic performance has been addressed in numerous studies (e.g., Muis et al, 2015;Efklides, 2017;Camacho-Morles et al, 2021;Sainio et al, 2021). Emotions are typically defined as affective episodes that are caused by a certain stimulus or antecedent, and have an object (Ekman, 1992;Russell, 2003;Shuman and Scherer, 2014).…”

The aesthetic valve: how aesthetic appreciation may switch emotional states from anxiety to curiosity

“…Interestingly, curiosity [27,[29][30][31][32][33], anxiety [34], and aesthetic emotions [12,35,36] have all been defined in terms of epistemic emotions, i.e. they are all related to uncertainty and knowledge acquisition [10,23,[37][38][39].…”

EFL students' epistemic beliefs and their relations to critical thinking and reading achievement

“…The reason of epistemic beliefs studies can be investigated deeper because it focuses on enhancing learners' interactions with their surroundings in order to achieve best academic results (Ghufron & Suminta, 2020). It is supported by Chevrier & Muis (2021), epistemic beliefs are more about mental processing, learning, and cognitive development. If students believe in complicated understanding, students will be less startled and frustrated, but students will have more excitement.…”