Harp, S. E., & Mayer, R. E. (1998). How seductive details do their damage: A theory of cognitive interest in science learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 414-434.

Harp, S.; Mayer, R.

1998

Harp, S. E., & Mayer, R. E. (1998). How seductive details do their damage: A theory of cognitive interest in science learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 414-434.

studie 3

In 4 experiments, students who read expository passages with seductive details (i.e., interesting but irrelevant adjuncts) recalled significantly fewer main ideas and generated significantly fewer problem-solving transfer solutions than those who read passages without seductive details. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3, revising the passage to include either highlighting of the main ideas, a statement of learning objectives, or signaling, respectively, did not reduce the seductive details effect. In Experiment 4, presenting the seductive details at the beginning of the passage exacerbated the seductive details effect, whereas presenting the seductive details at the end of the passage reduced the seductive details effect. The results suggest that seductive details interfere with learning by priming inappropriate schemas around which readers organize the material, rather than by distracting the reader or by disrupting the coherence of the passage.

Students who read passages with seductive details recalled significantly fewer important idea units than those who read passages without seductive details. There was no significant difference for the recall of main ideas among students who read signaled passages and those who read nonsignaled passages. There was no significant difference for the recall of main ideas among students who read passages with organizational signaling and those who read passages without organizational signaling. Students who read seductive details passages produced significantly fewer solutions to the transfer questions than those who read the passages without seductive details. There was no significant difference in the number of problem-solving solutions generated by those who read signaled passages and those who read nonsignaled passages.

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