Poster #30 - Using Instructional Support to Eliminate the Seductive Details Effect

• In Event: 21.063 - MTCC Poster Session Three
  In Poster Session: 21.063-2 - Social and Cognitive Influences on Academic Performance

Abstract

Seductive details are attention-grabbing details added to a lesson with the intention of sparking interest, but that are ultimately irrelevant to the instructional goal. These details are “seductive” in that they are often remembered at the expense of the target information. The current experiment added two worksheets designed to help students focus on the instructional goal of a text-based lesson. In a 2x2 design, college students read a lesson about the life cycle of fungi, with seductive details and worksheets as independent variables. Participants then completed a retention test and problem-solving transfer test. The results show that the harmful effects of seductive details are reduced with instructional support designed to help students direct and control their cognitive resources during learning.

Author

• Celeste Pilegard, University of California - Riverside