Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology

When laypersons search the Internet for information they are frequently confronted with a variety of scientific findings that are often fragile and inconsistent. We propose that two processes – the hindsight bias and social categorizations – influence the handling of conflicting scientific evidence. While people in hindsight focus on outcome-consistent information, social categorizations lead to a preference for information that is consistent with one’s own attitude as well as to a degradation of attitude inconsistent information. Since the development of the Web 2.0, however, users may not only read scientific information but may also produce science-related information on the Web. Therefore, we assume that both processes should likewise be observed for authors of web contents. The aim of the project is to investigate whether hindsight bias and social categorizations can be observed in recipients as well as producers of articles of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Additionally, we will examine the efficacy of strategies that might reduce the hindsight bias as well as the effects of social categorizations. We expect the results to complement the previous findings regarding the reception of conflicting scientific evidence and to further our theoretical understanding of the relationship between individual and collective information processing.

Publications:

Oeberst, A., Cress, U., Back, M., & Nestler, S. (in press). Individual vs. collaborative information processing: The case of biases in Wikipedia. In: U. Cress, H. Jeong, & J. Moskaliuk (Eds). Mass collaboration and education. Springer.

von der Beck, I., Oeberst, A., Cress, U., Back, M., & Nestler, S. (2016). Hätte die Geschichte aus anders verlaufen können? Der Rückschaufehler zu Ereignissen in Wikipedia. In: T. Wozniak, U. Rohwedder, & J. Nemitz (Hrsg.) Wikipedia und die Geschichtswissenschaften. Berlin: De Gruyter Open.

Oeberst, A., von der Beck, I., & Nestler, S. (2014). Reading about explanations enhances perceptions of inevitability and foreseeability. A cross-cultural study with Wikipedia articles. Cognitive Processing, 15, 343-349.

Conference Contributions:

Oeberst, A., Nestler, S., Back, M., von der Beck, I., & Leckelt, M. (2015, September). Wikipedia vertrauen? Vortrag auf der Abschlussveranstaltung des Schwerpunktprogramms „Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit“. Münster.

von der Beck, I., Oeberst, A., & Nestler, S. (2015, September). Hindsight Bias 2.0 – Der Rückschaufehler durch Wikipedia. Poster auf der 15. Tagung der Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie. Potsdam.

Leckelt, M., Nestler, S., Oeberst, A., Cress, U., & Back, M.D. (2015, September). Motivierte Rezeption und gezieltes verfassen von Wikipedia-Artikeln – Effekte sozialer Kategorisierungen? Vortrag in der Arbeitsgruppe: Motivierte Wissenschaftsrezeption bei wissenschaftlichen Laien. auf der 15. Tagung der Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie. Potsdam.

von der Beck, I., & Oeberst, A. (2015, February). Can reading Wikipedia articles increase hindsight bias? Evidence from a cross-cultural approach. Poster presented at 16th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Long Beach, USA.

Nestler, S., Back, M. D., Oeberst, A., & Cress, U. (2014). Rezeption und Produktion wissenschaftlicher Informationen in Wikipedia: Der Einfluss des Rückschaufehlers und sozialer Kategorisierungen. Poster, Arbeitstagung SPP Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit, Münster.

Oeberst, A. (2014, November). Collective Biases? Hindsight Bias and Ingroup Bias in Wikipedia. Vortrag im Kolloquium der Sozial- und Wirtschaftspsychologie. Universität Koblenz-Landau.

Oeberst, A. (2014, Juni). „Im Nachhinein ist man immer schlauer.“ Der Rückschaufehler in und durch Wikipedia. Vortrag im Kolloquium „Wikipedia, Wikisource, Wikicommons – Arbeitsmittel der Geschichtswissenschaft?“. Universität Marburg.

Oeberst, A. (2014, May). Individual vs. collaborative information processing: The case of biases in Wikipedia. Talk at the International Workshop on Mass Collaboration and Education. Tübingen.

von der Beck, I., Oeberst, A., & Nestler, S. (2014, July). Cognitive aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Can reading Wikipedia articles increase individual hindsight bias? Poster presented at the 17th General Meeting of the European Association of Psychology. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Applicant 1
Dr. Aileen Oeberst
Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien
Schleichstr. 6
72076 Tübingen
07071/979212
a.oeberst@iwm-kmrc.de
Website
Research Interest
(collaborative) knowledge construction
memory
social influence

Applicant 2
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Cress
Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien
Schleichstr. 6
72076 Tübingen
07071/979209
u.cress@iwm-kmrc.de
Website
Research Interest
computer supported collaborative learning
social software
knowledge management

Applicant 3
Dr. Steffen Nestler
Institut für Psychologie
Universität Münster
Fliednerstr. 21
48149 Münster
0251/8334091
steffen.nestler@wwu.de
Website
Research Interest
Hindsight bias
Lens model, causality
statistical methods

Applicant 4
Prof. Dr. Mitja Back
Institut für Psychologie
Universität Münster
Fliednerstr. 21
48149 Münster
0251/8334122
mitja.back@wwu.de
Website
Research Interest
assessment of personality
dynamic interplay of personality and social relationships

Staff 1
M.Sc. Ina von der Beck
Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien
Schleichstr. 6
72076 Tübingen
07071/979209
i.vonderbeck@iwm-kmrc.de
Website
Research interest
Wikipedia, Hindsight Bias

Staff 2
M.Sc. Marius Leckelt
Universität Münster
Institut für Psychologie
Fliednerstr. 21
48149 Münster
Tel.: 0251-8334203
marius.leckelt@uni-muenster.de
Website
Research interest
Social Categorization, Hindsight bias, Individual Differences