The effects of counterattitudinal seductive details on learning

Learning materials are often enriched with interesting facts that are only superficially related to the learning topic to increase student motivation. However, research suggests that such seductive details rather impair learning. Seductive details can convey a positive or negative valence, for example, when explaining advantages or disadvantages of nuclear energy. It was assumed that such seductive details are especially detrimental to learning when learners hold contrary attitudes, as cognitive conflict and dissonance could be triggered. In an experimental study, 123 university students read a text about the functioning of nuclear power plants, either without, with positive, or with negative seductive details. Results showed: the more positive learners' attitudes, the more detrimental was the inclusion of negative seductive details to learning. The inclusion of positive seductive details was detrimental regardless of learners' attitudes. Furthermore, measures of task-irrelevant thinking and extraneous cognitive load mediated detrimental effects of seductive details on learning performance. This study showed that explaining disadvantages of nuclear power plants in addition to explaining their functioning, is especially detrimental to recalling the functioning when learners are proponents of nuclear energy. The results suggest to avoid the inclusion of valenced side notes related to polarizing topics in learning environments that set a thematically different learning goal. Considering individual attitudes towards learning topics can be important when designing instructional media. • Seductive details are interesting but irrelevant adjuncts in learning materials. • Negative seductive details impair learning more if learners hold positive attitudes. • Seductive details impair learning indirectly via task-irrelevant thinking. • Seductive details impair learning indirectly via extraneous cognitive load.