Quantitative Effects of Image Complexity on Learning Performance in Multimedia Instructional Interfaces for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children rely primarily on visual channels to acquire information in multimedia learning environments. However, excessive visual stimulation and redundant information may hinder information processing and impair learning efficiency. To assess the effects of image complexity on DHH children’s multimedia learning, this study investigated four image-complexity parameters—color saturation, abstraction level, number of images, and animation frequency—and examined their effects on learning performance in terms of immediate task performance and cognitive processing by integrating behavioral data, eye-tracking measures, and frontal electroencephalography (EEG) indices. The results showed that color saturation and abstraction level mainly influenced response efficiency and comprehension accuracy, whereas number of images and animation frequency primarily modulated attentional allocation and dynamic information tracking during learning. These findings provide preliminary evidence that optimizing instructional image complexity may support more efficient multimedia learning processes for DHH children and inform adaptive interface design in special education.