Can our desire to learn science be nurtured by emotions?
Several researchers are answering and had answered “yes, it can and it is actually so..” (Hicks & Stewart, 2020), especially if epistemic emotions are involved (Morton, 2010).
BTW, what are epistemic emotions?
My favorite is “curiosity“, one of the most triggered emotions nowadays (Valdesolo et al., 2016). Curiosity entails the violation of our expectations on a given salient event which drives to the need for gaining more information on this gap to find a plausible explanation.
Just have a look at the works of Barbascura X on Youtube: his format relies on expectation violation, i.e., of the most accustomed frames we use to interpret and approach scientific issues…would you love having an example?
Do you love Panda? Who doesn’t love Panda??? Almost everyone loves them. However, they are not as soft, as tender, as marvelous animals as we expect. They are quite dirty and a little bit stupid and disgusting…do you still love Panda? Maybe, now, you are led to seek for more information on this topic…that’s how curiosity works!
Check this video to get an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ1Nu8XTBMQ&list=PLugRrYeMMjl3CFZemTmLm8gQBUJTRf5GR&index=4
Curiosity: do you know that we can experience this emotion also regarding ourselves? We can be curious about ourselves and this aspect has been also measured in Italy, with the “self-curiosity scale” (Aschieri & Durosini, 2015). It is a key aspect for our wellbeing and health (Kashdan, Rose, & Fincham, 2004).
Link to the self-curiosity scale: https://www.tpmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/22.3.2.pdf
There are many other epistemic emotions. Check for “confusion“, one of the least investigated epistemic emotions (Vogl et al., 2020). I believe it is something we have been quite used to experience in these last months.
Indeed, science itself dwells on confusion and attempts to solve and recompose it, especially when many different information coexist at the same time and they appear to have the same validity. What are we inclined to do in this situations? Usually, we look for more information, we explore more. This doesnt’ mean that we become more and more competent, it just means that we are prone to collect much more information since we feel the need for it. Crucially, often, when we are led by confusion, we also tend to endorse our beliefs and answers despite they are not correct..
Bright and dark side..
All epistemic emotions entails uncertainty but curiosity and confusion usually led to assimilate new knowledge to alleviate uncertainty.
Crucially, epistemic emotions do not just lead to a more intense need for knowledge seeking and exploration but they make schema-violating experiences more memorable and easy to be recalled in our memory (Valdesolo, Shtulman & Baron, 2016).
Moreover, there is another emotion whose power goes beyond knowledge seeking or knowledge exploration. it is awe.
As a recent qualitative work of Hicks and Stewart (2020) showed, there are specific epistemic emotions able to build upon our certainties to leave room for transformation, and this is the case of awe (Cuzzolino, 2019) When we experience awe, we are very likely to live an authentic transformative learning experience. People in awe are not just prone to assimilate new knowledge but especially to change existing one as well as to transform their current view of the others, the world and themselves. Indeed, a further elaboration and reflection on the original emotional experience is needed to make sense of the it.
Put differently. What’s the main process it should take place to let an awe-inspiring experience transform us? By reflecting on the experience itself, by activating meaning-making processes.
How does awe take place in scientists’ experience?
Cuzzolino (2019) conducted in-depth interviews with 30 scientists to investigate their experience of awe in science. Do you want to know the results?
- Maybe, if you answered “yes”, you are not a true scientists. Indeed, scientists reported more awe during the research process vs. the result stage. “the journey counts more than the destination”.
- Awe as a motivation for doing research, discover and stand uncertainty of research.
- Awe leads to sharing the experience itself.
- Awe entails self-reflection (as Hicks and Stewart said!!!).
One result affected me the most: “Awe leads to sharing the experience itself”. I believe my desire to share scientific results with you is mainly motivated by my experiences of awe in research and in life in general. Actually, it would find hard to differentiate life and research, since doing research and doing science becomes an attitude, a way of living…
I discovered several other colleagues led by their awe moments in science and life to tell science to others. We are in the domain of scientific dissemination, a new one for me and a old one for those people I am going to introduce in the followings.
Check This amazing guy “Luca Perri“: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyHaMPx0k-TY4gyqmRT23Vg
His ability to manage delicate issues such as errors in science, it unique. It is a master of awe 🙂
You want more? Adrian Fartade is the asnwer you desire but you cannot expect to have. Check his channel: https://www.instagram.com/adrianfartade/?hl=it
I love his way of combining art, performance, a genuine view of the world and an authentic love for science and knowledge in general.
Finally, check Matteo Cerri, amazing scientist: https://cerriblog.com/
These belong to Italy, but there are more international science communication who deserve attention and are really interesting to follow or also contact! Check this wonderful woman Evguenia Alechine: https://travelerscientist.com/ devoted to sustainability.
What’s more?? Just point them out here! I am always eager to know!
AWE 