Social Biases and Solutions for Procedural Objectivity

An empirically sensitive formulation of the norms of transformative criticism must recognize that even public and shared standards of evaluation can be implemented in ways that unintentionally perpetuate and reproduce forms of social bias that are epistemically detrimental. Helen Longino's theory can explain and redress such social bias by treating peer evaluations as hypotheses based on data and by requiring a kind of perspectival diversity that bears, not on the content of the community's knowledge claims, but on the beliefs and norms of the culture of the knowledge community itself. To illustrate how socializing cognition can bias evaluations, we focus on peer‐review practices, with some discussion of peer‐review practices in philosophy. Data include responses to surveys by editors from general philosophy journals, as well as analyses of reviews and editorial decisions for the 2007 Cognitive Science Society Conference.     

MOTIVATION TO LEARN AND COURSE OUTCOMES: THE IMPACT OF DELIVERY MODE, LEARNING GOAL ORIENTATION, AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND ENABLERS

This naturally occurring quasi-experiment examined how learning goal orientation (LGO), delivery mode (classroom vs. blended learning), and the perception of barriers and enablers related to motivation to learn and course outcomes. Study participants were 600 students enrolled in either classroom or blended learning courses. As hypothesized, learners in the blended learning condition, high in LGO, and who perceived environmental features as enablers rather than barriers had significantly higher motivation to learn. Motivation to learn, in turn, was significantly related to course outcomes (satisfaction, metacognition, and grades). The mediation hypotheses received partial support. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed 3 significant interactions between delivery mode, LGO, and perceived barriers and enablers on motivation to learn and course satisfaction.     

Friendships of Indonesian,South Korean,and U.S. college students

The friendships of college students in the United States (n= 61), Indonesia (n= 56), and South Korea (n= 35) were assessed to evaluate the H. C. Triandis, R. Bontempo, M. J. Villareal, M. Asai, and N. Lucca (1988) hypothesis that the friendships of individuals in collectivist cultures are more intimate and less extensive than those in individualistic cultures. Students rated the qualities of their friendships, reported the identity and characteristics of friends, and recorded details of their social interactions using the Rochester Interaction Inventory. The friendship characteristics of South Korean students were generally consistent with the H. C. Triandis et al. (1988) hypotheses, whereas those of the Indonesian students were not. It appears that friendships in some collectivist cultures, including Indonesia, display characteristics of extensive social contacts with others in conjunction with limited intimacy with specific individuals.