Seductive Details, Cognitive Load, and Academic Achievements: A Multi-level Meta-analysis and MASEM

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Cognition, Confidence, and Emotion: Unpacking Metacognitive and Motivational Dynamics

Abstract

Despite growing interest in the seductive details effect, empirical findings on its impact on academic achievement remain mixed. This multi-level meta-analysis, based on 177 effect sizes from 50 studies, confirms a small but significant negative effect of seductive details on learning outcomes (g = -0.16), with the strongest impact on comprehension, followed by recall and transfer. Moderation analyses reveal that factors such as sample size, language, and instructional context influence the magnitude of this effect. Crucially, the analysis identifies extraneous cognitive load as the primary mediator, while intrinsic and germane cognitive load show no significant mediation. These findings highlight the cognitive costs of irrelevant content and support minimizing decorative elements to optimize instructional effectiveness.

Authors

• Yijun Wu, East China Normal University

• Ruobing Wang, East China Normal University

• Chao Cheng, East China Normal University

• Zhe Wang, East China Normal University