Project description

With regard to the communications and learning of scientific information, there has been a growing awareness in the field of formal and informal learning in recent years that the uncertainties inherent in scientific information must be communicated to learners. This is particularly evident in history lessons, where the construct character of history should be taught. But this is also important on the Internet, where we are dealing with a range of information that is characterized by a wide variety of more or less well-founded scientific information and a multitude of more or less reliable sources of information. In order to adequately understand scientific information, participate in informed discussions, form an opinion and make decisions based on the information provided, the nature and degree of uncertainty of the information must be presented, cognitively processed and taken into account when proceeding. It is therefore increasingly important to understand how people cognitively process uncertain information and information sources and how knowledge is created from this in interaction with other factors.

Glaser et al. (2022) have already developed and empirically tested a theoretical model for the cognitive processing of uncertain information: the IMPEUV model. In the project, this model is to be supplemented by further influencing factors and supported empirically. These are: the trustworthiness and expertise of the information source, scientific justifications of the uncertainties, the congruence of the information with prior knowledge structures, and epistemic reception goals. This project additionally aims to improve the connectivity of the IMPEUV model to existing similar research areas and its suitability for application to concrete learning situations.