How Visual Displays Affect Cognitive Processing

We regularly consult and construct visual displays that are intended to communicate important information. The power of these displays and the instructional messages we attempt to comprehend when using them emerge from the information included in the display and by their spatial arrangement. In this article, we identify common types of visual displays and the kinds of inferences that each type of display is designed to promote. In particular, we outline different types of semantic and pictorial displays. Then, we describe four main ways in which visual displays can affect cognitive processing including selection, organization, integration, and processing efficiency and how semantic and pictorial displays support these types of processing. We conclude with seven recommendations for designing visual displays and possible directions for future research.

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Work Title How Visual Displays Affect Cognitive Processing
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Matthew T. McCrudden
  2. David N. Rapp
Keyword
  1. Visual display
  2. Graphic organizer
  3. Visual representation
  4. Cognitive processing
  5. Multimedia learning
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Educational Psychology Review
Publication Date October 26, 2015
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9342-2
Deposited August 09, 2023

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added EPR_2017_visual_displays.pdf
  • Added Creator Matthew T. McCrudden
  • Added Creator David N. Rapp
  • Published
  • Updated Keyword, Description, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Visual display, Graphic organizer, Visual representation, Cognitive processing, Multimedia learning
    Description
    • x
    • We regularly consult and construct visual displays that are intended to communicate important information. The power of these displays and the instructional messages we attempt to comprehend when using them emerge from the information included in the display and by their spatial arrangement. In this article, we identify common types of visual displays and the kinds of inferences that each type of display is designed to promote. In particular, we outline different types of semantic and pictorial displays. Then, we describe four main ways in which visual displays can affect cognitive processing including selection, organization, integration, and processing efficiency and how semantic and pictorial displays support these types of processing. We conclude with seven recommendations for designing visual displays and possible directions for future research.
    Publication Date
    • 2017-09-01
    • 2015-10-26
  • Updated