Learning and distraction: Evidence for cognitive load interference in medical education
The disappearance of instructional benefits under distraction suggests a load interference mechanism: Learners cannot benefit from helpful educational instructions when their working memory is already taxed by competing demands. Importantly, this blocking effect represents more than a simple additive effect-it demonstrates a qualitative breakdown where helpful instructional elements become ineffective rather than merely weakened. We discuss the implications for medical education in increasingly distraction-rich learning environments characterised by AI, smartphone notifications and electronic health record alerts.
Authors
- Dogus Darici (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2375-8792)
- Ambrose H. Storck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1623-4626)
- Eva Schoenefeld (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9710-3767)
- Martin Janssen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0833-2988)
- Konstantin Seitzer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9109-9004)
- Michelle Bellstedt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3445-7928)
- Birte Barbian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1067-7987)
- Clemens Grahl Römer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3398-8898)
- Steffen Ansorge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7288-975X)
Institutions
- Berliner Hochschule für Technik (DE)
- University of Münster (DE)
- University Hospital Münster (DE)
- Institute of Neurobiology (BG)
- Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Medical Education
- Published
- 2025-12-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70136
- Primary Topic
- Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00