The impact of visual cues on reducing cognitive load in interactive storybooks for children

Bali, Cintia and Várkonyi, Gergő and Szabó, Mónika and Zsidó, András N. (2025) The impact of visual cues on reducing cognitive load in interactive storybooks for children. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY, 260. No. 106320. ISSN 0022-0965 (In Press)

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Abstract

Interactive book applications enhance learning by simultaneously conveying visual and verbal information while actively engaging users through interactive elements. This fosters learning through active participation. However, these interactive features can also distract students and increase cognitive load. To address this issue, visually signaling interactive elements on the screen could help guide attention and facilitate the integration of multimodal content. Therefore, this study investigates whether visual signaling of interactive elements can reduce cognitive load and, in turn, improve children’s learning performance. A total of 119 children (M = 9.35, SD = 0.684) were divided into four groups: (1) signaled interactive application, (2) non-signaled interactive application, (3) video, and (4) static-picture control group. The children listened to a science-themed book with various interactive and multimedia elements. Learning outcomes were assessed through a recall test consisting of 16 questions. The ADHD Rating Scale-IV was used to evaluate attentional mechanisms, with assessments completed by the homeroom teachers. Children in the interactive application groups recalled more information compared to children participating in static-picture control group. The children in the video group differed significantly from the control group but not from the interactive application groups. However, children with attentional difficulties tended to perform worse when they watched the multimedia video, or the interactive features were not visually signaled. This negative association was not observed when the interactive features were signaled. The results suggest that using visual signals can be beneficial for children with attentional difficulties by promoting multisensory integration.

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