ERIC Number: EJ1220264
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1449-5554
EISSN: N/A
The Decorative Images' Seductive Effect in E-Learning Depends on Attentional Inhibition
González, Federico Martín; Saux, Gastón; Burin, Debora
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, v35 n3 p166-178 2019
Two studies sought to replicate and extend the seductive effect of decorative pictures in expository text comprehension to an e-learning environment. In the first study, undergraduate students read and answered questions about two texts, with and without decorative, irrelevant images, in an e-learning course. The presence of decorative images had a small detrimental effect on comprehension. In the second study, participants read more difficult texts (low prior knowledge texts in multiple screens) and completed working memory and inhibitory ability tests. A significant interaction between comprehension and perceptual/attentional inhibitory ability was found: Participants with lower inhibitory capacity were affected by irrelevant pictures. In conclusion, evidence supported the hypothesis of a detrimental effect of irrelevant, decorative images on comprehension in e-learning, particularly for students with low attentional inhibition.
Descriptors: Pictorial Stimuli, Electronic Learning, Attention, Inhibition, Illustrations, Reading Comprehension, Undergraduate Students, Difficulty Level, Prior Learning, Short Term Memory
Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. Ascilite Secretariat, P.O. Box 44, Figtree, NSW, Australia. Tel: +61-8-9367-1133; e-mail: info@ascilite.org.au; Web site: https://ajet.org.au/index.php/AJET
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A