Prior beliefs and methodological concepts in scientific reasoning

摘要: This investigation focuses on the relations between prior beliefs, methodological concepts, and college students' (N=211) scientific reasoning in different problem contexts. Participants were presented with exercises that described method results of experiments, asked to draw conclusions about causal status variables violated their beliefs. drew both abstract (i.e. recommend a conclusion for fictional experimenter), personal settings own phenomenon). Participants' recommendations hypothetical experimenter predicted by understanding two concepts: function empirical evidence experimental control. Students' beliefs appreciation objectivity inquiry. Thus, even when students understand how data should relate conclusions, often take precedence especially they do not issue objectivity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.