The interaction of complexity and desirable difficulty does not significantly affect posttest performance¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? The complexity × desirable difficulty interaction was not significant on multivariate or univariate levels for time or trials. → Ines Zeitlhofer 2026
Evidence¶
Ines Zeitlhofer 2026¶
Ines Zeitlhofer, Joerg Zumbach. (2026). Germane processes moderate the effectiveness of complex desirable difficulty tasks. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-026-09807-1
q3 · i? · causal · r2
In the factorial MANOVA, the hypothesized amplifying interaction (Hypothesis 1.3) was "not significant on either a multivariate level" or univariate level for time and trials; no effect size beyond the printed η² values was reported.
"However, the interaction of complexity and desirable difficulty was not significant on either a multivariate level ( F (2, 127) = 2.32, p = .10; η² = 0.04; Hypothesis 1.3) or a univariate level (time: F (1, 128) = 0.67, p = .42, η² = 0.01; trials: F (1, 128) = 1.23, p = .27, η² = 0.01)."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Task complexity and desirable difficulties do not significantly affect intrinsic interest or expectancies for success — related
- Constantly high task complexity improves delayed posttest performance compared with gradually increasing complexity — related
- Interleaved practice improves delayed posttest performance compared with blocked practice — related
- Constantly high complexity lowers reported intrinsic cognitive load and metacognitive strategy use compared with gradually increasing complexity — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
complexity-difficulty-interaction-not-significant-performance |
title |
The interaction of complexity and desirable difficulty does not significantly affect posttest performance |
description |
The interaction of complexity and desirable difficulty does not significantly affect posttest performance |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-18 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — ines-zeitlhofer-2026 |
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