TY - JOUR

T1 - Emotional design and positive emotions in multimedia learning

T2 - An eyetracking study on the use of anthropomorphisms

AU - Park, Babette

AU - Knörzer, Lisa

AU - Plass, Jan L.

AU - Brünken, Roland

PY - 2015/8

Y1 - 2015/8

N2 - The present eyetracking study examined the influence of emotions on learning with multimedia. Based on a 2 × 2 experimental design, participants received experimentally induced emotions (positive vs. neutral) and then learned with a multimedia instructional material, which was varied in its design (with vs. without anthropomorphisms) to induce positive emotions and facilitate learning. Learners who were in a positive emotional state before learning had better learning outcomes in comprehension and transfer tests and showed longer fixation durations on the text information of the learning environment. Although anthropomorphisms in the learning environment did not induce positive emotions, the eyetracking data revealed that learners' attention was captured by this design element. Hence, learners in a positive emotional state who learned with the learning environment that included anthropomorphisms showed the highest learning outcome and longest fixation on the relevant information of the multimedia instruction. Results indicate an attention arousing effect of expressive anthropomorphisms and the relevance of emotional states before learning.

AB - The present eyetracking study examined the influence of emotions on learning with multimedia. Based on a 2 × 2 experimental design, participants received experimentally induced emotions (positive vs. neutral) and then learned with a multimedia instructional material, which was varied in its design (with vs. without anthropomorphisms) to induce positive emotions and facilitate learning. Learners who were in a positive emotional state before learning had better learning outcomes in comprehension and transfer tests and showed longer fixation durations on the text information of the learning environment. Although anthropomorphisms in the learning environment did not induce positive emotions, the eyetracking data revealed that learners' attention was captured by this design element. Hence, learners in a positive emotional state who learned with the learning environment that included anthropomorphisms showed the highest learning outcome and longest fixation on the relevant information of the multimedia instruction. Results indicate an attention arousing effect of expressive anthropomorphisms and the relevance of emotional states before learning.

KW - CATLM

KW - Emotion induction

KW - Eyetracking

KW - Multimedia learning

KW - Positive emotions

KW - Educational science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84925633432&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.016

DO - 10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.016

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84925633432

VL - 86

SP - 30

EP - 42

JO - Computers & Education

JF - Computers & Education

SN - 0360-1315

ER -