Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
As technology advances, misinformation can be spread easier than ever before. Many things the general public believe to be true are either completely false or contradict research findings. However, many people are not willing to give up their belief in false information, even if there is evidence to refute it. Neuromyths are a particular type of widespread misinformation involving incorrect beliefs about brain function (e.g., people can be either left-or right brained). Understanding the origins of neuromyths is important, because it may relate to the strength of individuals’ belief in these myths. Therefore, it is important to determine whether remembering (i.e., have a specific recollection of when and where something was learned) vs. knowing (i.e., knowing the information but having no recollection of where or from what source it was learned) impacts how firm people are in their beliefs. Participants were presented with a list consisting of facts about the brain and neuromyths, asked how strongly they believed each statement, and whether they remembered, knew, or guessed that the statement was true. If they remembered, they were asked the specific source of the information (e.g., read it in a book, told by a teacher, etc.). For 2 of the 8 neuromyths, there was a significant relationship between strength of belief and having a distinct recollection of the source of the information. However, overall, knowing was associated with stronger beliefs than remembering the source of the information. These findings may be useful for interventions designed to combat neuromyths, as determining neuromyths’ origins could help educators identify more effective ways to replace neuromyths with correct knowledge about brain function.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Jenni Redifer, Dr. Lisa Duffin, Dr. O.E. Mansour
Disciplines
Education | Educational Psychology | Neuroscience and Neurobiology | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Jackola, Kailee, "Impact of Remembering vs. Knowing on Strength of Belief in Neuromyths" (2019). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 829.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/829
Included in
Educational Psychology Commons, Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Psychology Commons