An experimental study to compare the affective and cognitive responses of female and male college students to single-image, multi-image, and time compressed single-image presentations

Abstract

This was an experimental study to compare the affective and cognitive responses of female and male college students to singleimage, multi-image and time compressed single-image presentations. Three initial sets of 120 images were produced so that each presentation contained the same visual information, and no narration or sound track was used with any of the presentations.

Ninety-seven subjects, in intact classes, participated in the experiment. Each class was shown one of the three slide presentations in a special projection room. Immediately after viewing a particular presentation, subjects were asked to complete a semantic differential which was used to measure attitudes toward the method of presentation; next subjects completed a multiple choice test concerning the cognitive information presented in the program viewed.

The two-way analysis of variance of the semantic differential scores indicated no significant difference in the attitude of the subjects toward any presentation format.

The two-way analysis of variance of the test for the amount of cognitive information retained indicated that there was a significant difference between the males and females in the amount of cognitive information retained with the females retaining more than the males. There was a significant interaction between presentation format and sex of the subject on the amount of cognitive information retained. Females out-performed males for both the multi-image presentation and the single-image presentation, but males performed better on the time compressed single-image presentation.

The Pearson product-moment correlation between scores on the test for amount of cognitive information retained and the scores on the semantic differential was -0.05.