Jalen Anderson
Research Mentor: Stephanie Preston
Mentor Department: Psychology, LSA
Author(s): Jalen Anderson, Stephanie Preston
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 24
Abstract
Being able to evaluate evidence and make informed decisions is an important skill for students, especially when they encounter scientific information through social media and online sources. Previous research shows that students often struggle to interpret research findings accurately, may confuse correlation with causation, or rely more on personal beliefs than on the quality of the evidence. For example, studies have found that direct instruction can reduce errors in students’ interpretation of causal claims from scientific studies (Seifert et al., 2022). Other research shows that students with more experience and training are better able to critically evaluate research findings and the strength of the evidence presented. Research on everyday scientific thinking also suggests that curiosity and positive attitudes toward science are linked to better evaluation of evidence quality (Dawson et al., 2024). The current Evidence-Based Reasoning project examines whether short instructional YouTube videos, known as the Presto Lab Data Show, can improve students’ ability to evaluate evidence. Using a pretest–posttest design, participants will complete reasoning and source-evaluation questions before and after viewing the videos. The videos focus on skills such as identifying reliable sources, recognizing biases, and distinguishing between different types of scientific claims. Changes in student performance across the two testing sessions will be analyzed to determine whether the videos support stronger evidence-based reasoning.
