The effect of epistemic beliefs and emotions on students' attitudes toward genetically modified foods

Abstract

A large body of research literature has explored socio‐scientific issues (SSIs) in science teaching and learning, documenting the impact of epistemic beliefs on epistemic emotion, which influences student's reactions to complex scientific topics. Often, students' reactions reflect scientific misconceptions, the correction of which may result in emotional and attitudinal changes. However, research has not fully explored the impact of students' epistemic beliefs on emotions and attitudes toward genetically modified foods (GMFs). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of students' epistemic beliefs on epistemic emotions and attitudes toward GMFs. A quantitative correlational research design was utilized with 78 students at a large private university in the Mid‐Atlantic United States. Participants' epistemic beliefs were assessed prior to reading a refutation text and a persuasive text about GMFs. Afterward, they completed questionnaires about epistemic emotions and attitudes toward GMFs. Results indicated that no statistically significant predictive relationship exists between the participants' epistemic beliefs and emotions or between epistemic beliefs and attitudes toward GMFs. However, a statistically significant predictive relationship was demonstrated between negative epistemic emotions and negative attitudes toward GMFs. The scholarly contributions and practical implications of these findings are discussed along with recommendations for future research.