Study of critical thinking education and influence of cognitive bias in pseudo-scientific thinking

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350243
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Science education
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: KIKUCHI Satoru 信州大学, 学術研究院人文科学系, 教授 (30262679)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 疑似科学 / 超常信奉 / 批判的思考

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to reveal the rational and adaptive aspects of the paranormal belief and pseudo-scientific belief, and also to explore the possibility of the application of critical thinking involved in these to the education scene, this research has conducted some questionnaire surveys and experiments. Study 1 has shown that, after verifying the validity of measuring methods of critical thinking performance, the relationship between critical thinking skills and paranormal belief is restricted. Study 2 showed that explicit and implicit attitudes to the paranormal belief are are incongruent. In Study 3, it has been shown that, contrary to previous research, rational information processing style promotes pseudo-scientific belief. Lastly, Study 4 has conducted, an experiment of introducing a teaching method that emphasizes the logical structure, and has concluded the aptitude treatment interaction (ATI)was observed between critical thinking attitude and teaching methods.

Free Research Field

認知心理学