2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Role of Need for Cognition in Enhancing Innovation Capacities among Interdisciplinary Graduate Students: An Equity-Focused Approach

Presented at GSD 7: Innovative Graduate Education

Innovation Capacities (IC) is a critical skill for addressing complex global challenges, and higher education institutions play a pivotal role in cultivating this capacity. This study investigates how Need for Cognition (NFC) – the tendency to enjoy and engage in effortful thinking – relates to IC among STEM graduate students, with a focus on examining whether an interdisciplinary training program that overlays disciplinary Ph.D. degree programs moderate the association between NFC and IC. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study collected data from Ph.D. students who are also participating in the Ohio State EmPOWERment Program – an interdisciplinary National Research Traineeship funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation – along with a control group of Ph.D. students who only participate in their disciplinary Ph.D. programs. NFC and IC were measured at the beginning and end of the academic year using validated instruments, and sequential regression models were used to investigate the predictors of IC development. The results support the argument that participation in the Ohio State EmPOWERment Program significantly enhanced NFC and highlight the role of this program as a catalyst for cognitive engagement and intellectual curiosity. Participation in the Ohio State EmPOWERment Program also appeared to support IC development across cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal domains. Furthermore, interdisciplinary training moderated the relationship between NFC and specific innovation capacities, with particularly pronounced benefits for students experiencing moderate increases in NFC. These findings highlight the potential interdisciplinary education in fostering innovation and cognitive growth while also emphasizing the importance of refined classification criteria in future research to better capture interdisciplinary influences.

Authors

Miss Yun-Han Weng http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1893-2151 The Ohio State University [biography]

Yun-Han Weng (she/her) is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. She serves as a Graduate Research Associate at the College Impact Laboratory at Ohio State University. In this role, she investigates graduate students' learning outcomes and experiences within an interdisciplinary STEM training program (evaluator), as well as examines the representation of Asian students and underrepresented minority students in the program. She holds her M.S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at UW-Madison. Yun-Han has work experience in the career management office, supporting and advising international graduate students on their career trajectory. With enriched experience with international students and in higher education, Yun-Han is interested in examining whether instruments that measure learning outcomes and capacities in higher education are equitable and valid for various demographic groups, especially for graduate students. By integrating methodologies from quantitative research and perspectives from critical lens, Yun-Han's work aims to contribute to the development of more inclusive and equity collegiate environments.
Dr. Emily T Creamer http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4983-6936 The Ohio State University
Jeffrey M. Bielicki http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8449-9328 The Ohio State University [biography]

Dr. Bielicki runs the Energy Sustainability Research Laboratory where he and his students research issues in which energy and environmental systems and policy interact, specifically on topics related to carbon management, renewable energy, and the energy-
Matthew Judkins Mayhew The Ohio State University

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The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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