Knowledge construction with conflicting information from internet-based texts and pictures

最近在互联网上发表了越来越多的与科学有关的信息。因此，学习者在网上搜索当前公开辩论的科学主题（例如可持续能源的潜力）的信息时，经常会遇到包含不同论点和交流相互矛盾观点的多个文本。在许多情况下，这不是由于出版物缺乏质量，而是由于这些主题在科学本身的讨论中存在争议，因为科学证据还没有提供一个明确的图景。因此，问题出现了，如何构建相互冲突的科学相关信息的交流，以促进科学主题的连贯参考表征（情境模型）的构建。除了学习者的特征会影响这种表征的构建之外，信息的布局和呈现可能也是至关重要的。在科学文献中表达信息的一个非常普遍的特点是使用图片来可视化定量的经验结果（如线形图）或说明文本中的问题（如照片）。在整个项目过程中，实验数据被分析并表明，图片被用作评估给定信息合理性的线索。具体地说，我们发现写实的图片可以引起一种流利的感觉，这取决于学习者的特点。然而，关于图表的流畅性效应尚未得到相应的探讨。因此，我们计划检验流畅性也介导图表对冲突信息理解的影响这一假设。根据学习者的特点，流利性既可以导致更肤浅的处理，也可以在详细的处理中作为合理性的线索。作为第一步，我们计划通过详细的过程分析和流畅性决定因素的实验操作，提供确凿的证据，证明图表在理解有争议的科学文本时对流畅性的感知有（积极影响）。随后，我们将重点讨论在与科学相关的文本冲突的学习中，由图表引起的流利感如何影响学习的过程和结果。根据学习者的特点，流利度对文本理解的影响不同：当流利度的感知被解释为关于文本的似是而非的线索时，流利度的影响是积极的；当流利度的感知被解释为关于文本的似是而非的线索时，流利度的影响是消极的。这些假设将通过有调节的中介分析的手段进行调查。

A growing amount of science-related information is recently published on Internet. Therefore, learners searching online for information on scientific topics currently debated in public (for example on the potential of sustainable energy) often come across multiple texts containing different arguments and communicating contradictory points of view. In many cases this is not due to the publications lack of quality but rather arises from the fact that these topics are discussed controversially in science itself, because scientific evidence does not provide a definite picture yet. Thus, the question arises how the communication of conflicting science-related information can be structured to foster the construction of a coherent referential representation (situation model) of a scientific topic. Besides learner characteristics that influence the construction of such a representation, the layout and presentation of the information are likely to be crucial. One characteristic that is very common for the presentation of information in scientific texts is the use of pictures to visualize quantitative empirical results (e.g. line graphs) or to illustrate matters in the text (e.g. photographs). Over the course of the project experimental data were analysed and showed that pictures are used as cues for the assessment of the plausibility of given information. Specifically, we found that realistic pictures can induce a perception of fluency, depending on learner characteristics. However, the fluency effect has not yet been explored accordingly concerning diagrams. Hence, we plan to examine the assumption that fluency also mediates the effect of diagrams on the comprehension of conflicting information. Depending on learner characteristics, fluency should either lead to a more superficial processing or should be used as a plausibility cue in an elaborative processing. As a first step, we plan to provide conclusive evidence that diagrams have a (positive effect) on the perception of fluency during the comprehension of controversial scientific texts by using detailed process analysis and an experimental manipulation of the determinants of fluency. Subsequently, we will focus on the question how perception of fluency, caused by diagrams in learning with conflicting science related texts, affects the process and outcome of learning. Depending on learner characteristics, fluency should have different effects on text comprehension: a positive effect when the perception of fluency is interpreted as a plausibility cue concerning the text and a negative effect when it indicates illusory comprehension. These assumptions will be investigated by the means of moderated mediation analyses.