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Electroencephalogram Recordings Indicate That More Abstract Diagrams Need More Mental Resources to Process

Electroencephalogram Recordings Indicate That More Abstract Diagrams Need More Mental Resources... ABSTRACT There is considerable interest in the cultivation of student graphic literacy among educators and researchers, especially in the sciences. Previous research, however, has shown that many students manifest difficulties in using diagrammatic representations. One explanation that has been proposed to account for these difficulties is that certain forms of diagrams may be more demanding of mental effort to use. Although there had been behavioral evidence to support this explanation, neurophysiological evidence had not confirmed it. Here, we provide evidence, from electroencephalogram recordings of brain activity focusing on the P3b component, that more abstract diagrams (such as graphs) demand greater mental resources to process compared to pictures and text—even when amount of detail has been accounted for. Our results provide initial neurophysiological evidence for the impact of cognitive cost on student learning behaviors and outcomes. Consideration of this finding is important in pedagogical design and, more broadly, in media communication. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Mind, Brain, and Education Wiley

Electroencephalogram Recordings Indicate That More Abstract Diagrams Need More Mental Resources to Process

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References (43)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Journal Compilation © 2015 International Mind, Brain, and Education Society and Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
ISSN
1751-2271
eISSN
1751-228X
DOI
10.1111/mbe.12064
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is considerable interest in the cultivation of student graphic literacy among educators and researchers, especially in the sciences. Previous research, however, has shown that many students manifest difficulties in using diagrammatic representations. One explanation that has been proposed to account for these difficulties is that certain forms of diagrams may be more demanding of mental effort to use. Although there had been behavioral evidence to support this explanation, neurophysiological evidence had not confirmed it. Here, we provide evidence, from electroencephalogram recordings of brain activity focusing on the P3b component, that more abstract diagrams (such as graphs) demand greater mental resources to process compared to pictures and text—even when amount of detail has been accounted for. Our results provide initial neurophysiological evidence for the impact of cognitive cost on student learning behaviors and outcomes. Consideration of this finding is important in pedagogical design and, more broadly, in media communication.

Journal

Mind, Brain, and EducationWiley

Published: Mar 1, 2015

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