Beliefs about Learning

People have many correct (and incorrect) beliefs about how they learn and how their brains work. In this line of work we explore the nature of educational beliefs and how they affect behavior.

Current Projects

Learning Styles and Adults

The learning style myth is one of most prevalent myths about cognition. This myth suggests that individuals learn better when an educational setting matches their learning style (i.e., auditory, kinesthetic, and visual). It is endorsed by over 90% of the population. In a series of projects we are exploring the consequences of these beliefs for undergraduate students and why these beliefs are so resistant to change. These projects are in collaboration with the Conceptual Development Lab and the Basic and Applied Cognition Lab at UM.

Learning Styles and Children

In a series of projects, we are also exploring when and how the myth of learning styles manifests in childhood. Do young children believe in learning styles? How do their learning styles beliefs link to their beliefs about who is good at school or smart? By studying children’s beliefs about learning styles, we hope to better understand how educational myths might be affecting young children in our school systems. 

Adults Beliefs about IQ

In a series of projects lead by the Basic and Applied Cognition Lab at UM, and in collaboration with Conceptual Development Lab, we are examining how adults think about intelligence. We are interested in questions like: How beliefs about intelligence differ or stay the same across cultures? How are they linked to mindset thinking? So far we are finding that not everyone thinks about IQ in the same ways: some think about it in more like fluid ways, while others think about it in more crystalized ways.

Learn more

Sun, X., Nancekivell, S. E., Gelman, S.A. & Shah, P., (2020). Perceptions of the malleability of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. (pre-print available on request)

Nancekivell, S.E., Shah, P., & Gelman, S.A. (2020). Maybe they’re born with it or maybe it’s experience: Towards a deeper understanding of the learning style myth. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112, 221-235.