Epistemic virtue in higher education: testing the mechanisms of intellectual character development

Abstract

Epistemic virtues are character traits conducive to principled ways of thinking, leading to a life of flourishing. Recent years have witnessed an emergence of theoretical accounts describing how they develop. However, few if any studies have conducted rigorous empirical investigation into the mechanisms of intellectual virtue development. In this study, we review several significant frameworks before utilizing a randomized, pretest/posttest control trial design to understand the impacts of a novel thinking disposition intervention on intellectual virtue growth. We ascertain the direct and indirect effects of the intervention on four key intellectual virtues: curiosity, humility, integrity, and tenacity. Additionally, we test theoretical mediators of virtue learning. Clear evidence favoring a theory-inspired mediator is observed, though we observe weaker signals of direct effects, with nuances across the virtues. For instance, tenacity and curiosity variables appear to respond more to the intervention than do humility and integrity. Findings are discussed in light of contemporary theoretical perspectives.

Deficient epistemic virtues and prevalence of epistemic vices as precursors to transgressions in research misconduct

“…To foster or inculcate epistemic virtues at the individual level, various strategies have been proposed for implementation in higher education (Kuntz and Taylor, 2021). For example, Orona et al have reported experimental successes in enhancing virtue learning among undergraduates (Orona, 2021; Orona and Pritchard, 2022; Orona et al, 2023). In an issue of Education Psychologist on “Educational responses to a ‘post-truth’ world: Diverse approaches to improving thinking about scientific issues,” the education sector’s responses to epistemic deficiency are elaborately discussed (Barzilai and Chinn, 2020).…”