Potentials of neurophysiological measures for research on instructional design: The case of decorative pictures.
Final Report Abstract
Decorative pictures (DP) are often used in multimedia (i.e., text-picture) task materials and, being not task-relevant, are commonly considered so-called seductive details. In multimedia learning studies, mixed effects on behavioral performance and learning have been reported for seductive details like DP. Amongst others, increased cognitive load (CL) and attentional distraction have been hypothesized as potential explanations for the detrimental effects of DP on learning. The aims of the current research project were twofold. First, using (neuro-) physiological process measures, namely the EEG theta frequency band power, EEG alpha frequency band power, and pupil dilation as proxies of CL, the effects of DP on CL during learning and task performance were examined. The number of fixations on the DP served as a measure of the attentional focus and distraction. In four studies, specific features of the DP and the primary task were manipulated. Studies S1 and S2 examined whether DP generally were distractive and increased CL and whether this depended on the difficulty of the primary task. Study S3 asked whether emotional aspects of the DP would alter the effects on CL and attention. Study S4 asked whether CL and attention to DP were affected by the congruency between the motifs depicted and the learning content. Second, the current research project aimed to provide further insights into the feasibility of using the (neuro-) physiological measures in task settings with rather complex multimedia task materials and their sensitivity. For that, in addition to the learning tasks, the EEG and eye-tracking data for highly controlled n-back working memory tasks with the same manipulations of DP were analyzed in complete within-subjects designs. Additionally, the frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a hemispheric difference measure of the EEG alpha frequency band, was analyzed in some studies as a potential measure of emotional-motivational processes, and the EEG frequency band power was analyzed fixation-related to get more direct insights into CL when DP were fixated. Regarding the first objective, results showed that DP in all studies (albeit somewhat marginally) increased CL, yet, notably, without hampering learning or task performance. Specifically, emotional DP (negative or positive) and congruent DP attracted attention, yet, overall, attention on DP was relatively low. Regarding the second objective, the EEG theta frequency band power unexpectedly turned out to be a somewhat unreliable proxy of CL. The results for pupil dilation were mixed, potentially partly due to unavoidable luminance confounds in the multimedia task materials. While the FAA also showed no effects, the EEG alpha frequency band power was the most sensitive (and feasibly usable) proxy of CL during learning and task performance.
Publications
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Using EEG and eye-tracking as process measures to study the effects of pictorial seductive details. 18th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Aachen, Germany.
Scharinger, C.
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Promises and pitfalls of using neurophysiology to study the effects of pictorial seductive details. European Association for Research on Learning and Insruction (EARLI). Special Interest Group (SIG) 27 (online conference).
Scharinger, C.
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The effects of decorative pictures on text reading and working memory performance as revealed by EEG alpha frequency band power and pupil dilation data. 62. Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP)
Scharinger, C.
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(K)ein Seductive-Details-Effekt für virtuelle Umgebungen? Symposium „Lernen mit VR- und AR-Technologie: Konzeptuelle Grundlagen und empirische Befunde“. 18. Tagung der Fachgruppe Pädagogische Psychologie (PaePsy 2021). Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg.
Scharinger, C., Klötzel, A., Halfmann, M. & Gerjets, P.
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Using EEG and Eye-Tracking to study the seductiveness of decorative pictures. 19th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Gothenburg, Sweden.
Scharinger, C.
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Augmented data to study augmented learning materials: Using EEG and pupil dilation data to study the effects of decorative elements on text reading and working memory performance. 52. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs). Hildesheim.
Scharinger, C.
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Effects of decorative pictures on mental processing demands and learning: An EEG and eye-tracking study. Acta Psychologica, 231, 103798.
Scharinger, Christian
