Highlighting Prosocial Affordances of Science in Textbooks to Promote Science Interest.

ABSTRACT: The prevalent stereotype that scientific fields do not afford opportunities to fulfill goals of helping others deters student interest and participation in science. We investigated whether introductory college science textbooks that highlight the prosocial utility value of science can be used to change beliefs about the affordances of scientific work. In study 1, undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to read a science textbook chapter with added prosocial utility value expressed greater beliefs that the science topic afforded prosocial goals and increased interest in the scientific topic, compared with two control conditions. Mediation analysis demonstrated that interest was enhanced through increased beliefs that the topic afforded prosocial opportunities. Multiple group compa

SUBMITTER: Zambrano J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8711837 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature