The Cognitive Psychology of Knowledge G. Strube and K.F. Wender (Editors) Q 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 8 MISCONCEPTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE COMPARTMENTALIZATION1 Heinz Mandl, Hans Gruber, and Alexander Renkl University of Munich, Germany ABSTRACT In connection with the results of two research projech which are situated in the knowledge domains of physics (TU bingen project) and economics (Munich project). this article addresses aspects of knowledge that can impede further learning and problem solving. These hampering aspects may concern the content or the structure of knowledge. With regard to content, we focus on incorrect concepts, malprioritizations of concepts, and dysfunctional beliefs. With respect to the structuie of knowledge, we diffcrentiak. different forms of knowledge compartmentalization, which means that thc knowledge about a domain iscomposed of several separate, not intertwined, parts. Possibilities for the diagnosis of misconceptions and compartmentalizations are presented. Finally. educational consequences are drawn and proposals for the design of learning environments are made. Knowledge is power - this widespread slogan emphasizes the usefulness of knowledge in performance and further learning. The significant part knowledge plays in understanding the nature of human cognition has revealed itself in a large body of research, not the least of which was the German Wisserispsychologie Project. This project dealt with many different aspects of the psychology of knowledge, most of them showing the positive effects resulting from existing knowledge. On the other side, there is a bulk of evidence that learners often hold some knowledge that restrains problem solving and further learning. This type of knowledge may be described as power-less knowledge. In this chapter we deal with problems that may arise with this kind of knowledge. In connection with the results from two projects, I The research reported herein was linancially supported by Grant No. Ma 978/2-3 of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to Hcinz Mandl. 161