Does the decorative images? seductive effect hold in e-learning?

GONZÁLEZ, FEDERICO MARTÍN; SAUX, GASTÓN; IRRAZABAL, NATALIA; BURIN, DEBORA INÉS

Philadelphia

Encuentro; 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text and Discourse. Society for Text and Discourse; 2017

Expository texts are of key importance for science instruction, but are effortful and difficultto comprehend (Graesser, León & Otero, 2002). Decorative pictures are introduced as away of enhancing motivation (Park, Korbach & Brünken, 2015). The seductive detail effectrefers to the negative impact on learning when irrelevant but attractive information (such asdecorative pictures) is included (Rey, 2012). The effect has been established in laboratoryor classroom settings, with variables such as time limits, cognitive load, or self-regulationas possible moderators (Rey, 2012). An e-learning environment differs from controlledsettings in these aspects, generally lacking a teacher or researcher to explain, guide andmonitor behavior, relying more on self-generated strategies, timing and motivation.The purpose of this study is to replicate and extend the seductive effect of decorativepictures in expository text comprehension to an e-learning environment. First year collegestudents completed comprehension tasks in an e-learning course (specially designed forresearch purposes and ostensibly unrelated to their course), in their home or usual place ofstudy. Prior knowledge and working memory capacity, factors affecting expository printedtext comprehension, were also taken into consideration. Participants read two high- or lowprevious knowledge texts, with or without decorative images, and answered literal andinferential questions about them, online. In another session they completed workingmemory tests in the lab. A negative impact on comprehension of decorative images waspredicted. Additionally, previous knowledge and working memory capacity effects oncomprehension, and possible interactions between factors were analyzed.