Epistemology is the study of the nature of knowledge, including its sources and dissemination. Epistemology beliefs have been studied to understand and predict student behavior and motivation in academic settings. For example, studies have examined the relationship between epistemology and comprehension, major selection, and grade point average (GPA). In one theory of epistemology, there are five separate factors: certainty of knowledge, simplicity or structure of knowledge, source of knowledge, nature of learning ability, and speed of learning. The present study focuses on speed of learning. Previous research has shown that speed of learning is not related to memory retention. In the present study, college students completed an epistemological beliefs inventory. They then completed a challenging puzzle under limited time conditions. Students were randomly placed in two conditions: They were either told that success on the task would be “all or nothing” or that success would entail time and trial and error. It is hypothesized that students who successfully completed the task or showed persistence would have a more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. Epistemological beliefs can help to serve as an indicator of endurance and measure levels of motivation.
