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Scientific knowledge suppresses but does not supplant earlier intuitions
Andrew Shtulman1, Joshua Valcarcel
1Department of Psychology, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041, United States. shtulman@oxy.edu
Cognition
|May 19, 2012
Summary
Naïve scientific theories are not overwritten but coexist with new scientific knowledge. This study shows that prior beliefs persist long after learning conflicting scientific concepts.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Science Education
- Psychology of Learning
Background:
- Students often hold intuitive or naïve theories that conflict with formal scientific explanations.
- Understanding how these prior beliefs are affected by scientific learning is crucial for effective pedagogy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether previously held naïve theories are overwritten or merely suppressed upon learning conflicting scientific theories.
- To examine the persistence of naïve theories in adults with extensive science education.
Main Methods:
- A novel speeded-reasoning task was developed and implemented.
- Participants verified statements based on conceptual relations, comparing those consistent across naïve and scientific theories versus those with differing truth values.
Main Results:
- Participants responded significantly slower and less accurately to statements where truth values differed between naïve and scientific theories.
- This effect was observed across 10 diverse domains of scientific knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Naïve theories appear to survive the acquisition of mutually incompatible scientific theories.
- Prior beliefs can coexist with scientific knowledge for extended periods, suggesting suppression rather than overwriting.
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