A Multiple Group Repeated Measures Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) Examination of the Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS) Among College Samples
Issue Date
2011-08-31Author
Short, Stephen David
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
53 pages
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
M.A.
Discipline
Psychology
Rights
This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
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Show full item recordAbstract
The present study examined changes in university students' attitudes toward and knowledge of evolution measured by the previously validated Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS). Students were assessed at a large Midwestern U. S. university prior to and following completion of either an undergraduate political science, biology, or evolutionary psychology course. A multiple group repeated measures confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine latent mean differences in self-reported political activity, religious conservatism, evolution knowledge/relevance, creationist reasoning, evolutionary misconceptions, and exposure to evolution. A significant and notable increase in evolution knowledge/relevance, as well as decrease in creationist reasoning and evolutionary misconceptions was observed for the evolutionary psychology course. In contrast, no significant change in evolution knowledge/relevance was observed for the biology course. The implications of these findings, as well as limitations and future research for evolution education are discussed.
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- Psychology Dissertations and Theses [459]
- Theses [3944]
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