Epistemological Sensitization as a Short-Term Intervention to Change Epistemological Beliefs—Is It Effective or Not

Bibliographic Data

ID22043861
AuthorsEric Klopp (0000-0002-6638-8912, Klinikum Saarbrücken, corresponding author), Johanna Gathen (Klinikum Saarbrücken), Robin Stark (0000-0002-3807-2355, Klinikum Saarbrücken)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue6
Pages960
Publication date2026-06-17
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci16060960
OpenAlexW4393109243
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited30

This study investigates the effects of an epistemological sensitization on domain-specific epistemological beliefs. An epistemological sensitization is a short-term intervention that presents a domain’s epistemological features to elicit epistemological doubt when these features are dissonant with a person’s current epistemological beliefs. In a pre–post-test design, two sensitization interventions (argumentative vs. informative) were compared with a control condition in their ability to reduce absolutist and multiplicist beliefs and foster evaluativist beliefs with a sample of psychology students. Two different measures of domain-specific epistemological beliefs were used as dependent variables. The results show that while there is evidence for a reduction in either absolutism or multiplicism, there are, at the same time, backfire effects. There was no evidence for an increase in evaluativism. However, these effects depend on the epistemological belief measure. We finally discuss possible reasons for the findings and present the study’s limitations

Epistemology · Physics · Quantum mechanics · Sociology · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies · Philosophy · Psychology

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