Coherence principle: people learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included (d = 0.86 across 19 tests)¶
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Evidence · 1 study · theoreticalr3·q3·i3large
Currency · newest study 2024 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
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This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i3 Across 19 experimental tests, excluding extraneous material from multimedia lessons improved learning with a mean effect size of 0.86. → Richard E. Mayer 2024
Evidence¶
Richard E. Mayer 2024¶
Richard E. Mayer. (2024). The Past, Present, and Future of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09842-1
q3 · i3 · theoretical · r3
Summary in Table 6 of experimental tests conducted by the author's lab and colleagues across three editions of Multimedia Learning. The coherence principle row reports an effect size of "0.86" based on "19" tests, supporting that people learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included.
"1. Coherence principle: People learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included 0.86 19"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Coherence Principle Irrelevant Material Hurts Learning — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
- Interesting but irrelevant details can impair comprehension and transfer, with effects that vary with the material and the learner — related
- Cognitive Overload Degrades Learning — a broader claim this one bears on
- Signaling Improves Learning — related
- The CTML research base grew from 45 experimental comparisons and 7 principles (2001) to 201 comparisons and 15 principles (2021) — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
coherence-principle-extraneous-material-effect |
title |
Coherence principle: people learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included (d = 0.86 across 19 tests) |
description |
Coherence principle: people learn better when extraneous material is excluded rather than included (d = 0.86 across 19 tests) |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2024 |
source_checked |
2026-10-21 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-21 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — richard-e-mayer-2024 |
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