How Do Pictorial and Semantic Visuals Affect Learning From Scientific Text?

• In Event: Reading and Motivation

Abstract

This study investigated how pictorial and semantic visuals foster different inferences. Undergraduate students (n=135) were randomly assigned to study text with a semantic visual, pictorial visual, or text-alone. Students then explained what they learned and took a post-test measuring hierarchical and temporal inferences. Explanation results indicated the semantic group generated significantly more hierarchical inferences than the other groups and there were no significant differences between the visual groups on temporal inferences. Post-test results showed the semantic group had the best performance on hierarchical items, and the pictorial group had the best performance on temporal items. Last, hierarchical inferences in explanations partially mediated visual group and hierarchical inference test performance. This suggests visual design should align with the inferences they afford.

Authors

• Shelbi Laura Kuhlmann, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Logan Fiorella, University of Georgia