Does Anyone Know the Answer to that Question? Individual Differences in Judging Answerability

Frontiers in Psychology
Bodil S A KarlssonSandra Buratti

Abstract

Occasionally people may attempt to judge whether a question can be answered today, or if not, if it can be answered in the future. For example, a person may consider whether enough is known about the dangers of living close to a nuclear plant, or to a major electricity cable, for them to be willing to do so, and state-authorities may consider whether questions about the dangers of new technologies have been answered, or in a reasonable future can be, for them to be willing to invest money in research aiming develop such technologies. A total of 476 participants, for each of 22 knowledge questions, either judged whether it was answerable today (current answerability), or judged when it could be answered (future answerability). The knowledge questions varied with respect to the expected consensus concerning their answerability: consensus questions (high expected consensus), non-consensus questions (lower expected consensus), and illusion questions (formulated to appear answerable, but with crucial information absent). The questions' judged answerability level on the two scales was highly correlated. For both scales, consensus questions were rated more answerable than the non-consensus questions, with illusion questions falling in...Continue Reading

References

Jan 19, 1990·Science·E Tulving, D L Schacter
Dec 1, 1986·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·M F ScheierC S Carver
May 3, 2001·Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis·L Sjöberg
Feb 14, 2003·Journal of Personality Assessment·David L Streiner
Jan 30, 2007·Scandinavian Journal of Psychology·Marcus Johansson, Carl Martin Allwood
Feb 20, 2007·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Claudia M RoebersPauline Howie
Jul 20, 2007·Psychological Review·Ulrike Hahn, Mike Oaksford
Jul 9, 2008·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·Asher Koriat
Sep 24, 2008·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied·Alan ScoboriaIrving Kirsch
Dec 24, 2008·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied·Mandeep K Dhami
Jan 7, 2009·Neuropsychologia·Christopher A PaynterPaul D Kieffaber
Sep 1, 1976·Memory & Cognition·P A Kolers, S R Palef
Sep 14, 2011·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·James A HamptonSejal Parmar
Oct 26, 2011·Psychological Review·Asher Koriat
May 1, 2013·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Jonathan St B T Evans, Keith E Stanovich
May 1, 2013·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Gideon Keren

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 4, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Bodil S A Karlsson, Carl Martin Allwood

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.